Escort to Happiness
by Her Sweetness
Summary: AU. Mello's life has just been flipped upside down and L's the cause. Though they've never met, L is determined to right the wrong and drag his best friend, Raito, through his attempts to fix a young man's heartache. L x Mello.
1. Prologue

A/N: _I let you guys choose and so here you go. An AU just for you. But, it's also an experiment and I have to let you know that it may not be what you're used to. As I revisit my childhood and try to braid my selves, you'll just be forced to watch. :P_

-

**Escort to Happiness. **

**One. **

-

Matt had approximately twenty-two minutes to live, from the very second he threw the _Los Angeles Times_, crumbled and smudged, out of the window of the one-bedroom apartment. The newspaper fell three stories to the sidewalk and just missed a random by-passer's head and the man looked up, very annoyed, to hear the shouting flooding out through the open window of the apartment, and into the city below.

"What the hell was that for?" Mello shouted and he looked out of the window, blue eyes wide and blond hair blowing back over his shoulders. He turned around when he didn't receive an answer and Matt was reclining in the only chair in the room that wasn't standing on three legs.

There was a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips and he looked up at Mello from under a head-full of red hair. "Listen, you can't _force_ me to get a job. It's unethical. I have a right to-"

"Be a lazy bastard and sponge off of me?"

Matt laughed, almost dropping the cigarette.

Mello frowned. "I'm not kidding, Matt, that's what you're doing!"

"I hardly think that a part-time job at a flower shop is going to make all the bills go away, Mel," Matt sighed, exhaling smoke to the side. He ignored the glares he was receiving from his blond roommate and, faintly, sucked his teeth. "Do we _really _have to argue like this again?"

"I didn't say you _had _to work at the flower shop."

Matt rolled his eyes. Once again, Mello was missing the point. With a labored groan, Matt picked himself out of the recliner and was walking towards the door, slowly. He looked at Mello over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised.

Mello didn't seem to care and leant back on the window sill, his arms crossed.

Matt took another step and touched the doorknob. "I'll really do it, Mel," he said. "Really!"

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try."

"You don't believe me?" Matt asked, incredulous, as if this was an offense of the highest degree. Matt smirked, removing the tinted goggles from his eyes and placed them over his forehead. He gave Mello a special sort of wink, the kind a man would save for his wife in the bedroom, and watched with slight pleasure as Mello's cheeks reddened and he rolled his eyes. "Well, Mel, I'll have to make a believer out of you then," he said and opened the door.

Mello shook his head. "If you walk out, Matt, I'm locking the door behind you and I won't let you back in even if Jason was behind you with a fucking _chainsaw_. You hear?"

"… huh? Sorry, wasn't listening," Matt replied and chuckled to himself as he walked down the hallway, letting the door shut gently behind him.

Mello growled, "You bastard!"

No reply.

Mello quieted down and listened, faintly hearing the front door of the apartment building slam shut. The blond groaned to himself and turned around, leaning out of the window, eyes searching for a ball of red hair to come bopping out of the building. If he timed it right, Mello could launch one hell of a spitball onto the idiot. And then, with his hair a sticky mess, maybe he'd come back inside and they could talk about this rationally.

… Because this was fucking ridiculous.

Every time there was the slightest disagreement between the two of them, Matt would take the childish way out and threaten Mello with that old "I'll play in traffic!" line. It was getting tiresome, having to save Matt's sorry ass two or three times a week. Usually, the cars would stop and swerve about him, thinking him to be a mentally retarded young man who managed to escape from his handler. But there was always that chance that…

"Matt!" Mello called, finally noticing the redhead on the sidewalk.

Matt looked up, his green eyes shining in the sunlight and people walked around him, probably annoyed at him holding up foot-traffic. "Yeah, Mel?" he asked.

"Will you just get back up here already?"

"Why's that? So you can force me into some nine to five like yours?"

"You're such a child!"

Matt shrugged and turned his back on the blond hanging out of the window. He walked up a few yards to the crosswalk and the sign on the other side of the street was flashing a red _DON'T WALK_. Cars were whizzing by and the other pedestrians standing next to Matt and waiting for the appropriate signal were all shocked when Matt put a hand over his eyes and proceeded to march out into a sea of flying metal.

"Matt," Mello shouted, hands cupped around his mouth. "Matt, you idiot, what are you doing? Stop it!"

"I can't hear you, Mel, I'm listening to my life flash before my eyes! … In surround sound!" Matt's words could barely be heard over the honking of the horns in the street. People standing by on the sidewalk were shouting to Matt as well and Mello thought, briefly, that their kindness was wasted on such a moron.

To everyone's surprise, Matt made it across to the other side, unharmed. He removed his hand from his eyes and looked across the street to Mello, who was glaring at him menacingly.

"Ready to compromise, Mel? Or do I have to do my death-defying act once more?"

"You looked _really_ stupid, you know!"

Matt just grinned.

Mello sighed, repressing his anger once again. He was sure that one day all the things he locked inside would cause him some serious problems but for now, he was only concerned about getting that idiot back into the apartment. He called out, "You don't have to get a regular job, Matt! We'll figure something out, just get your scrawny ass up here!"

"Thanks!"

"Yeah, whatever…"

-

Twenty minutes prior, and thirty miles away, Raito Yagami glared hotly at the first floor vending machine. He had come today, armed with two dollars instead of the usual one and as he had walked out of the elevator, he looked at the machine as if they were going to do epic battle. And it was epic, at least from where Raito was standing.

Everyday, he would place a dollar into the machine and wait for a bag of Cheez-Its to come tumbling out. But it seemed that the package of cheesy snacks just had it out for Raito and would never come out. Raito would be forced to walk home, hungry and pissed off but _not today_.

No, not today.

The first bag moved only a little, the wheel holding it caught and not budging. Raito pulled the second dollar out of his wallet and held it aloft as if he were preparing for the finishing blow. He stuffed the bill inside and pressed B5 once again, thinking that the second one would push out the first and he was prepared to take two bags as his prize when, all of a sudden, they fell against the glass.

Raito groaned, eyes rolling up to the plastered ceiling. _This is ridiculous_, he thought, _every day like this… I can't take it. And I put in a work-order weeks ago. _

"Excuse me?"

Raito perked up and looked behind himself at the small line of three people behind him. The man behind him who had tapped his shoulder pointed to the vending machine. "Are you going to use that?" he asked.

Raito looked back at the machine, at the chips, and sighed, shaking his head. He moved to the left and let the line carry on. It was becoming painfully clear that he would have to use the machine on the third floor instead and as he contemplated this, he felt a familiar presence beside him. He looked to his side tiredly and found his coworker, a pile of messy black hair atop his head, standing beside him and staring at the snack machine as well.

He sighed, "Hey, L."

"A bit put out, Raito?" the man asked mildly, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

"Not more than usual," Raito sighed, walking around the line towards the front door. L followed him, watching as the first man in line cheered his luck in getting two Cheez-It bags. The two of them walked through the revolving door to the outside world and the sun was beating down on the sidewalk.

The trees on the front lawns of ADM Inc were still, no breeze to sway the boughs, and the grass was starting to turn brown. L was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue blazer over a white shirt and he sighed once they were out of the building, taking the blazer off and tying it around his waist. He sighed and wiped his brow, seemingly unaware of Raito's disapproving stares.

"It sure is a hot one today," he said, tightening the knot as the two of them walked out into the parking lot. On the horizon, the buildings seemed shaky and Raito had to shield his eyes from the blazing sun.

"You know, I don't get how they let you get away with wearing jeans everyday," Raito observed, scanning L's body. "When I'm stuck in a suit and tie everyday."

"What's wrong with special treatment?" he asked, fishing around in his side pocket.

"You don't _deserve_ any."

L's hand emerged with a ring of keys as they approached his car sitting away from all the others. He unlocked his door and, once inside, unlocked the passenger's side, allowing Raito entry. Raito sat down, pushing the brown hair from his eyes and was annoyed when it stuck up a little from his perspiration and the heat.

"You're forgetting that I saved this company millions of dollars," L informed him. "And don't be so harsh with me, after all, I have been giving you a ride home for the past week."

The engine revved and Raito turned the air conditioner on full blast, turning the vent towards himself. He looked out the window and nodded as they pulled onto the street. "You're right; thank you, L. I'll repay you once my car gets back from the body shop."

"How would you repay me for rides?"

"I don't know, I guess I'd take you for a ride."

"But I have a car."

Raito rolled his eyes, letting the cold air blow through his hair. "Fine, then I won't pay you back."

"Now, now, there's no need for that… you can buy me some ice cream, all right?" He tilted his head and looked at Raito with big black eyes. "Do you feel better?"

Raito frowned, turning away. "Watch the road," he commanded.

"I am."

"You are _not_. I'm serious, L…" Raito opened one eye and looked at L's sitting position with one knee pressed up to his chest and the other leg operating the brake and the gas. "I've never seen anyone drive this way… have I ever told you I don't feel very safe in your car?"

"Every day this week. Twice on Tuesday."

"Well, I think it bares repeating-"

L reached over and turned on the radio, drowning Raito's complaints out in a sea of easy listening.

-

Twenty-one minutes later, Matt looked up at his best friend with a giant grin spread across his face. Like always, he had gotten his way and was going to flaunt it for the rest of the week. He had enjoyed the look of shock on the people's faces as he crossed the street, all of them wondering if perhaps they were going to get to see a dead body and Matt had refused them all their wishes.

However, to complete his day, he just _had_ to do it again.

Matt waited until the light blinked DON'T WALK, and by that time, another group of people had gathered on either side of the street. Matt took the first step off the curb, a hand over his eyes. Someone beside him whispered, "He's at it again…"

Mello bolted up from where he had been slouching on the window sill. "Matt! Matt, you idiot, just wait for the damn light!"

-

"L, I hate that song."

"It's my car, I'll listen to what I please."

"Haven't you ever heard of being courteous to the passenger?"

"_No_."

-

"_Matt, watch_-"

-

"-the road, L!"

-

Crash.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Right, well, there's your prologue. Review, yeah? Also, this marks a full year I've been with you in the DN fandom. Grade my performance, yeah?_


	2. Monotony

A/N: _Ah, thank you all for your kind support. Hopefully, you'll enjoy._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Two.**

-

The thought of burying his best friend when the summer winds blew the grass this way and that never really occurred to Mello. He looked up at the trees that provided slight shade to the cemetery beneath them and the sun was hiding somewhere above, sending little speckles of light down onto Mello's pallid face. It was beyond surreal and he didn't even feel like Matt was in that coffin at his feet.

Surely, Matt was somewhere with a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth, maybe at a street corner, waiting for the light to change. He was probably somewhere walking with that arrogant swagger in his step like he was God's gift to the world. Off somewhere, refusing to work and thinking about Mello with a grin on his face, laughing about the way he frowned. Thinking he'd truly gotten to him.

This was probably true.

And Mello had no reason to think Matt really was dead. The wake had been closed-casket, after all, but that was probably because there was no need to show Matt's weeping mother her baby boy all mangled like that. Mello thought this with slight agitation. Sure, no need to show his weeping _mother_… but what about his _roommate_? The same roommate who had watched over Matt's crazy ass and had gotten into street fights with him when need be? Who had gotten him an interview at the flower shop?

Mello sighed and placed his hands inside the pockets of his trousers. He felt most uncomfortable in the suit and thought maybe Matt wouldn't have wanted anyone in a suit at his funeral. If it had really been up to him, he would have told everyone to come naked as the day they were born and Matt would have never excluded his mother which really said something.

"Oh… M-Matt," she wept and wept beside Mello and he was really getting pissed off. If she kept this up much longer, she might trigger some sort of chain reaction and make _him_ cry.

And that just wouldn't be good.

Mello sighed audibly and kicked at a leaf on the ground. There was no one else there besides the two of them and the preacher, who was currently leaving after Matt had been soundly delivered to the ground. Mello watched his retreating form through the fields and thought maybe he had a dead body calling to him and he ran to answer that call. The whole thing seemed immensely creepy but it was probably a necessary evil. Couldn't have dead bodies just lay around like that.

Mello figured it was about time for him to get going too, though. He looked at the older woman who was wrapped up in black garments - her bonnet, her dress and stockings and her gray hair pulled tight into a bun. Mello walked up to her and she didn't take much notice, face covered in tears as it was.

He had to find _something_ to say.

"Um. Hey, you know…" and it sort of stopped there.

She didn't take any noticed - only cried and sobbed into her hands for the death of her only son. Matt had told Mello once that he was one boy out of a litter of seven girls. Mello looked at the old woman now and thought about what an active life she must've had, chasing around all those kids. Without the wisdom to console her, Mello turned on his heel and skulked his way through the fields, as the preacher had, and left the woman with the ghost of her son.

-

It was a Sunday afternoon and, for once, it wasn't so blazing outside. The wind blew the canvas material on the green and white striped umbrellas that were attached to each outdoors table at the local _Marble Slab Creamery_. The building itself was sandwiched between other shops and businesses that lined the street and Raito calmly watched the people walking by his and L's table with a small spoon hanging out of his mouth. He sighed, the fifth time in the past few minutes, and looked over to find L staring at his ice cream.

"… You know," Raito said, putting on a smile, "that would taste a lot better if it were in your mouth."

"Yes," L murmured, not paying Raito much attention.

This was certainly a new thing for Raito. Ever since they had that accident a week ago, L was almost like a zombie, which complemented his appearance really, but was just so unlike him. He hadn't teased Raito, gotten on his nerves, and hadn't even asked to go out for ice cream. This was a desperate effort from Raito to cheer him up and it didn't seem to be working even with the (now melting) large strawberry ice cream with cookie dough and gummy bears Raito had purchased for him.

He cleared his throat and managed to get the man's attention. "Hey, L, come on now… I thought maybe if I gave you something sweet, you'd get on some kind of sugar rush. That maybe you'd get back to your old self but-"

"Raito, I feel I must tell you that I've never had a sugar rush once in my life."

"… Really?"

"Really."

"That's a little worrying, L."

L sighed and looked away towards the street, dipping the small spoon back into his bowl of ice cream. "I apologize, Raito. But I haven't been able to think of anything other than that young man. I've never had an accident before."

Raito nodded. "I know, L, it's okay. I understand. I'm still a little shaken about the whole thing. But… you know, even the police officer told you it wasn't your fault. He ran right out into the middle of the road. He was obviously very disturbed."

"I'm not talking about _that _young man."

"… you hit another one?"

"No," L grunted and spared the brunet a glance. "The blond. The boy that ran out when his friend was hit and tried to slap him back to consciousness. For some reason, I see it all the time, the way he screamed. He barely took note of us at all."

"Oh. Yeah, that was a little depraved."

"You don't understand," L mumbled, "I'm responsible for the death of that boy's friend. He's alone now."

"You don't know that. He… he could have dozens-"

"One friend is worth a million. I would be devastated if I lost you," L said, gaze settling on the table.

Raito blinked widely, eyebrows tented. "Aw, L, that's so-"

"Wait, look," L whispered, waving his hand in Raito's face to shush whatever mushy things would come out. He then pointed just over Raito's shoulder towards the street corner and Raito turned to see what all the fuss was about. Across the street was a young man, a blond in maybe his early twenties, standing by the light post and waiting on the signs to change. He was dressed in a black suit and tie, much too formal for just walking around town. Raito squinted in the midday sun and saw the scar on the side of the man's face, the same one from the day of the car crash.

"Wow, it's him," Raito hummed. He studied the suit and said, "He must've just gotten back from the funeral, I guess…"

"Yes."

"Hey, L, why didn't you go to the funeral? To, I guess, absolve some guilt?" Raito mused, somewhat to himself, and turned back around when he heard the grating of L's metal chair against the concrete. He had stood, hands planted on the table, watching as the young man crossed the street. "L, what're you-"

"I'm going to follow him," L said, scooting the chair back under the table. He picked up his big bowl of ice cream, which was now mostly soup, and nodded at Raito. "Let's go."

"… excuse me, what? You can't just decide to follow someone - L! L, come back here!" Raito stood up and ran after his co-worker. He had to bob and weave through the other pedestrians and finally found L, placing a hand on his shoulder like a leash. "L," he whispered harshly, "what are you doing?"

L stopped at the crosswalk and continued when the signs changed. "I'm crossing the street with you, Raito." He slurped some of the strawberry-gummy bear mixture.

Raito noticed he was eating and was slightly glad for that. He sighed and released L's shoulder from his grip. "L, can't we just sit down somewhere and talk about this rationally?"

"I'm not being irrational. You may sit somewhere if you please."

"There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight!"

"That's your choice."

Raito groaned and stayed by L's side, noticing that they were on the opposite side of the street as the blond young man. He hadn't noticed them and Raito hoped it stayed that way - he really wasn't interested in pulling L's behind out of a fight with some emotionally unstable youth. They crossed the street again when the young man turned the corner and was out of sight.

"L, don't you feel… I don't know, creepy?"

"No."

… _I guess that was the wrong question… _Raito thought, frowning to himself. He tried again with a different approach. "L, I know how you feel… this whole thing's been on my mind for the past week too, but… shouldn't we just leave the kid alone? He's been through enough, I think. I don't think he'd want us following him."

"You're right," L said, eyes set ahead. "If someone killed my friend, I surely would not want to talk to them. But I don't intend on making small-talk. Don't you remember the look on his face when he was holding his dying friend?"

"Jesus, L," Raito hissed under his breath, looking about them to see if anyone had heard what L was saying. "Do you think you could keep your voice down?"

However, it didn't seem that L was listening and he continued to follow the bobbing head of blond hair somewhere in the distant crowds. As one block turned to two and then to three and four, Raito seriously gave consideration to abandoning L and going home to catch the rest of Judge Judy. This was just getting too ridiculous - following some kid all around the city and for _what_?

"L, I'm going to go _home_," Raito threatened, still walking alongside the slightly hunched-over man. "I mean it!"

"I understand. And I apologize for ruining our date but I have to do this."

"It was not a date," Raito shouted, red in the face. Apparently, L was feeling much better, as he had tossed that empty plastic bowl away blocks ago and was now succeeding in getting under Raito's skin. Attempting to compose himself, Raito shook the hair out of his eyes and continued with L without comment.

-

The only thing that was going through Mello's mind as he ascended the stairs of his apartment building was getting that damned suit off. It was itchy, having been up in the closet for too long, and it was just too hot for this kind of mess. He reached the third floor and dug his keys out of his back pocket, opening the door to his own little world. He walked in and started taking the jacket off, throwing it on the recliner in the middle of the room. If possible, it was even hotter inside than it was outside.

He pulled at his tie and then began work on the buttons of his white shirt underneath. Garment after garment, he pulled everything off as if the entire outfit was acidic and threw it all over the chair, surveying the place when he was finally standing in nothing but a pair of black socks. His breathing was labored as he inhaled the stale smell of old smoke throughout the room.

The source of it was coming from the unstable old coffee table in the middle of the room and Mello glared at the ashtray sitting on it. It was glass, made in the shape of a four-leaf clover and Matt used to say it brought luck to the place.

Mello looked around and, upon remembering that Matt was now six feet under, he thought grimly, _Guess that shot the whole luck thing out of the water…_ He taped his foot on the ground and thought maybe he should do something to occupy himself - maybe watch some daytime TV to calm himself. He nodded as if that was a good idea and walked over to the television over in the corner that sat on the bare floor and turned it on.

The screen came alive with fuzz and Mello turned the channels manually, looking through all the static.

"_Don't leave me! Come back-"_

Click.

"_Oh God, Taro, harder, fas-"_

Click.

"_You've won FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR-"_

Click.

"_When a tortoise engages in coitus-"_

Mello shut off the television. There was never anything on this time of day anyway. He stood up, and opened the window for a little breeze, ignoring the fact that he was completely nude, thinking no one could see him from the third floor. He stood there for a moment and turned to his side, trying to think of anything to do, just anything to occupy him for a little while. Maybe a nap. No, then he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Maybe… maybe some food.

Mello turned around for the small, dirty kitchenette at the side of the living room. He only took three or four steps before whirling around and grabbing the glass ashtray from the table. He stomped back over to the window and in one blast of fury, threw the thing to the street below and shouted, voice tear-logged, "I HATE YOU, MATT!"

-

"Good God!" Raito shouted, jumping backwards as a glass knickknack came hurdling towards the earth. L had moved back a few feet and everyone else on the street ran for cover when the glass shattered on contact and shards flew everywhere. Everyone looked up at the window and the half-naked blond hanging out of it, shouting.

A random by-passer shouted up at him, "You loon!" and in a moment the window slammed shut. People muttered to themselves and each other but walked by quickly, not wanting anything to be thrown and hit them.

Raito walked slowly into the pile of glass glittering in the sun, looking up at the window cautiously as he made his way to L. "He's insane, L…"

"He is mourning his friend."

"He threw an _ashtray_ out the _window_!"

L nodded and raised a thumb to his lips. "Obviously, they meant a lot to each other."

"Oh, really? Would you throw an ashtray for me? No, wait, don't answer that. L, what are we doing here?"

There was a pause and L seemed to be considering. Finally, he took his thumb away from his mouth and said, looking up at the window, "I guess I want to help him. I hate owing someone something and, if you think about it, I owe him a life. I want to make him happy."

Raito raised a questionable eyebrow in L's direction and sighed, shaking his head. "You know, you still owe me five bucks…"

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thoughts, comments? Hit me._


	3. Condolence

A/N:_ There were time and you wanna be free… but my love is growing stronger, baby, as you become a habit to me._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Three.**

-

Mello lay in the top bunk in the bedroom, the stale smell of Matt's old dirty socks still potent in the room, and inhaled deeply, thinking this was the life.

With Matt gone, Mello wasn't confined to the bottom bunk at night. He had immediately climbed up into the top bunk when it was time for bed and stared at the ceiling a few feet away from his face. No longer did he have to worry that someday all those potato chips and pocky sticks would catch up with his roommate and then, in the middle of the night while Mello slept peacefully, the redhead would come crashing down on him, killing him instantly.

It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. And the bedroom was so quiet now, Mello could go to sleep like _that_ if he wanted to. None of Matt's heavy snoring or tossing around. None of his noisy farts that Mello would have to hide from. He could hear mice footsteps in the dark now and, thought distantly, he might have to set down some traps.

Mello rolled onto his side. The bedroom was small and there was a dresser on the other side of the room, next to the closet. Mello had given all of Matt's clothes to the Goodwill a week ago and there was so much room for his clothes now. Matt had been a real pack-rat and luckily, his mother took most of his old stuff off of Mello's hands. But without all of his crap, the apartment did seem more empty.

He rolled back to the other side, facing the wall.

Another great thing about Matt being gone was that Mello could sleep nude if he wanted. He would have never done that before because Mello was modest and was much to into his own needs to ever think that Matt wouldn't give a damn if he were naked or not. Mello also had a sneaking suspicion about Matt… They had only lived together for a year but for the last few months of Matt's life, he had been acting differently.

He was still a stubborn bastard, but he sometimes gave Mello these off-the-wall looks. When Mello would be standing around in the small space of the kitchen, making rice or whatever, he would look over his shoulder and see Matt, leaning back on the refrigerator and staring at him. Just… staring. The whole thing was a little more than creepy.

Mello recalled one incident, just a few weeks ago, that fueled his suspicions. Mello had been leaning out of the window, letting the afternoon rain shower wet his hair. He watched as the people below scurried to get in somewhere as the summer rains were so unpredictable. He had heard Matt scuffling around behind him a moment ago and then it stopped and he felt the redhead's presence right behind him.

He turned around, hair wet and plastered to his cheeks. Matt was standing less than a few inches away, head tilted down and those ridiculous goggles pulled up to his forehead. Mello had asked him what the hell he was staring at. Matt mumbled some half-ass excuse that he was looking out the window and skulked away somewhere.

Now Mello was looking up at the fractured ceiling, lines wavering drunkenly across it and seemed to spell out some ominous words of wisdom. He sighed, figuring this was too weird and climbed down, his bare feet on the cold wooden floor. He bent and crawled into the bottom bunk, his haven, and looked up at the stained mattress above him.

"Bastard," he muttered.

-

"Good grief, L, can't you wait one minute?" Raito mumbled to himself, throwing the shower curtain to the side. The running water was loud, making harsh pattering sounds as it hit against his shower cap, but the phone ringing in the next room was louder and Raito groaned when it continued. He shut the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist, leaving his cap in the sink on his way into his bedroom where his cell phone lay on his bed.

"H-Hello? L, I said I'd call you right back after my shower! Can't I have one moment to myself?"

"Your showers are too long," L said, monotonous as usual.

Raito sighed. "What _is _it, L?"

"I wanted to inform you that I found out a bit about him. I called the police station and asked for information about my recent accident and the boy who was involved. I ended up able to coerce his roommate's name from them."

"… what?"

"He is Mello Kheel, twenty-two years old."

"The police aren't supposed to give you that information!"

L sounded bored as he droned, "I'm highly aware."

"Well, what is it you plan on doing to him?"

"You make it sound like I would use this information to sneak into his house and commit atrocities, Raito."

Raito smoothed some hair out of his face and sat down on the mattress, one leg crossed over the other. "It does sort of sound like that," he grumbled. "Listen, this is getting a bit weird. What did you mean earlier? Make him happy? I don't understand."

"Of course you wouldn't, your only concern is your hair by-products."

"_I_ mind my own business!" Raito huffed, offended.

"Never mind that. I will talk to you about what will be done tomorrow."

Raito sighed into the phone. "L, this is… I mean, let's just think for a second. That guy, Mello, he looked like he had the biggest chip on his shoulder when we saw him today. And he does, his roommate has just died, and we… well, you… sort of did it. He is not going to be happy if he finds out it was you."

"Don't worry yourself over me, I will be anonymous."

"… Uh huh. Right, well, can I finish taking my shower?"

"Of course."

"Good. See you tomorrow, L."

"See you… oh, and Raito?"

"Yes?"

"Bring your happy face."

Click.

-

The next morning began with a highly regular printer jam and Raito frowned at it. He bent and looked into the paper tray, eyeing it suspiciously. It was full of paper but maybe that was the problem - too full. He took about half the stack out and tried to print button once more and the same orange light flashed. He groaned and turned around to the long line behind him.

"Sorry, everyone," he called, waving a hand, "the printer's jammed. I'll have to put in a work order."

They all groaned at once, the sound like a pod of humpback whales.

Raito nodded in understanding as they dispersed and he returned his gaze to the printer, squinting one eye at it. This building wasn't fit for a company to run in, everything was almost always in need of repairs. He shook his head and followed everyone out of the printer room, heading down the hall for his office.

Walking past him was a stack of papers on two legs and Raito tilted his head to see the young man carrying them, his white hair in small ringlets around his cheeks. The new intern from the second floor spent most of his time making copies for regular workers, who were too busy going to buy Cheez-Its from the snack machines to make their own. Raito said, "Um, Near, are you going to the copy room?"

"I am," he said, looking up, struggling with the papers.

"Sorry, it's jammed. I'm going to put in a work order, though, so it should be up and running… sometime this month."

"… I see," Near sighed, and made a long-suffering about-face. He shuffled down the hallway and Raito watched him go, poised to help if he toppled over. He didn't, however, and Raito continued on his way.

When he reached his office, a small room just over cubicle-size, the door was ajar and he looked inside to see L, standing by the window and tapping his fingers on the sill.

"L," Raito groaned, coming in and shutting the door behind himself. "You can't hang around here all day, you know. Don't you have work to be doing?"

L turned around, blinking. "But I need your advice."

"… On what?"

"What are a good combination of condolence flowers?"

"Flowers…? Condolence…" Raito walked around the mahogany desk in the center of the room and sat at the leather chair pulled up to it. He leaned his head back in thought and saw L staring at him up-side down. "Well, carnations are usually at funerals… but, um, sunflowers are pretty cheerful, and they're in season right now." He smirked. "Are you sending flowers to Mello?"

"Yes."

Raito frowned, having been in the middle of a joke. "L, that's a terrible idea."

"Why?" L quirked his head to the side, truly interested.

"_Why_? What do you mean? Think about it, he gets anonymous flowers, he'll think someone's in love with him."

"You would not feel special if you received random flowers?"

"… Well, not if they're from the person who ran my roommate over. I think I'd feel a little creeped out."

"How would he know?"

Raito squinted.

L stared.

"So, sunflowers, then?"

"Ugh… do what you want, L," Raito announced, swiveling around.

"Okay," he said and leant over Raito's desk to the phone. Raito made an indignant noise about the use of his work number for such things but quieted down when someone picked up the line and the voice came through on speakerphone.

"Rosie's Posies, this is Rosie, and how may I help you today?"

"Hello, Rosie. Tell me, do you only sell posies?"

Raito guffawed in the background, earning him a confused frown.

"Of course not, sir, we've got many different kinds of flowers. Daises to morning glories and roses to sunflowers-"

"Sunflowers, please."

"Sure, how many?"

"Hmm…"

-

Rosie Fontello, who had always been a cheerful person, was in the highest of spirits as she set the phone back down onto the cradle and smiled up at her small flowers shop. Today was certainly a great day and she rushed around the counter, having to maneuver her formidable frame through the stands of flowers until she reached the door and called out to her one employee who swept up in front of the store.

"Mello! Mello, oh, come in here, we just got a huge order!"

Mello, who had been sweeping half-heartedly, looked up at her and sighed, hating it when Rosie got so excitable. He walked inside as she had disappeared from the door and he leant the broom up by the wall, watching her run about the shop and into the back room.

"What's going on?" he asked, following her and then having to jump out of the way as she came flying back into the shop.

"A customer just called and ordered twelve dozen sunflowers!" She turned around and winked at him. "I think it must've been for his girlfriend, he was very secretive about the whole thing."

"Really?" Mello asked, without much interest.

"I need you to get the order together. For some reason, he wanted only gold and silver ribbons for the bouquets. I'll deliver them since the address is only around the corner. Chop, chop!"

Mello sighed and nodded, going into the back room to get the order together. Usually his job was very laidback and that's why he had stayed for so long. He didn't even mind the matching flower-embroidered aprons he and Rosie wore throughout the day, as long as no one commented on it. What he didn't like, however, was when some random rich person ordered the entire store and he would have to package it all.

Rosie came into the back, her light blonde hair in a puff from running about so. She pulled out the gold ribbon as Mello picked the flowers from where they grew.

"This would be so much easier if your friend was working here," she mused, turning around. "When did you say he was going to turn in that application? What's his name, Marty?"

"It's Matt," Mello ground out. "And he's not coming to work here."

"Oh? Well, why not? Flowers smell great!"

"He got run over by a car, Rosie." _I know I told her this five times already…_

Rosie blinked sorrowfully. "Oh, that's too bad. We should send some flowers to the hospital! When will he get better, do you think?"

"He's dead."

"… Oh, dear. One doesn't get better from that, I'm afraid."

"_Yeah_," Mello said loudly.

She spread the ribbon on the large wooden table and got out some plastic wrapping. "How're you holding up, Mello? That must've been hard on you."

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"I'm sure you are! Such a strong boy. Well, I'm going to have to hire someone soon. I don't know how long we can handle all this by ourselves."

Mello nodded.

-

Mello didn't get off of work until eight o' clock that night, having to close up the shop with Rosie. Once the lights were off, Rosie locked the door behind them and she waved at her only employee, shouting, "See you tomorrow!" and Mello dutifully waved back, calling some sort of farewell.

One thing he liked about working for Rosie was that the flower shop was only two blocks away from his apartment building. He didn't exactly live in the best neighborhood - the east side of the city was famed for muggings and sometimes even break-ins but Mello didn't have very much money. He always thought if someone decided to steal from him, they must be in pretty big need.

He made his way down the street and soon enough found his way home, crossing the streets as they were meant to be crossed, all eyes open. The journey up the stairs was solemn with the background music of yelling from the other apartments, some thuds. Mello opened his door, not remembering locking it as he left that morning and faintly feared being robbed but opened the door, flicking the light switch on, and gasped mutely upon seeing the waves of silver and waves of gold, lighting up the dreary old place.

"What the fuck?" he cried, walking into the living room and staring at the bouquets of sunflowers laying on every possible surface. Mello walked through them, completely stunned at first and then a light bulb inside his head shone brightly. He growled and turned for the kitchenette.

The phone was sitting on its cradle on the counter and he grabbed it, practically punching the numbers to Rosie's cell phone.

"… Rosie? It's Mello. Listen-"

"Oh, Mello! Good evening. It's rare that you call me-"

"Rosie, that sunflower order from this morning, what address did you deliver them to?"

"Hmm, oh, I can't remember…"

Mello groaned, biting on his knuckle before he popped. He let out a long sigh as Rosie droned on and said urgently, "Was it 52 Perry Avenue? Apartment 39?"

She gasped. "Now, how did you know that?"

"Rosie, that's _my_ apartment! I've got all these damned sunflowers in here - the place smells like Amsterdam in spring!"

"Oh, _Mello_," she trilled, laughing, "that was _your_ secret admirer, wasn't it? How special!"

_Special, my ass! I'm locking my damn door tomorrow…_ Mello shook his head. "Rosie, do you know the person who called?"

"Oh, he gave me his credit card number. He had to pay somehow."

"What's his name?"

She giggled again, a little girl enjoying schoolyard secrets. "I couldn't tell you that, Mello! He wanted to remain anonymous!"

"_Rosie_-"

"I have to go now, Mello, my old man and I are sitting down to eat. If you ever do find out, you should bring your admirer over! We'd love to have you two to dinner someday."

"But-"

"See you tomorrow!"

Click.

Mello frowned at the phone. After a second, he exhaled and set the phone back down. The room seemed to be alive with the flowers and Mello stormed over to one of the bouquets on the coffee table, grabbed it by the ribbon Rosie had so lovingly wrapped around the stems and tossed it out of the open window.

-

"_Goddamned sunflowers_!" Mello shouted and then slammed the window shut. People below cried out of surprise as flowers rained down on their heads.

On the other side of the street, L leant up against a brick building, both hands shoved deep into his jean pockets. Raito leant up against the wall beside him, shaking his head in distaste.

"I would hate to live on this street. You never know _what's_ going to come out of that window," he observed.

"I suppose sunflowers were not the right choice," L murmured.

"Yeah, sure, okay, it was the _flowers_."

L shrugged. "I suppose I should have found out where he worked before doing this."

"Might've been a good idea."

There was a pause and L quirked an eyebrow in Raito's direction. "You aim to provoke me, don't you?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but this whole thing is a farce. L, what you're doing is stalking a boy ten years your junior. He's obviously mentally unsound… do you hear me? This is ridiculous!"

"Raito…" L mused, scratching at the back of his head.

"Um… yes?"

"How do you make someone happy?"

"…" Raito sighed, shaking his head. "That really depends on the person. What would make me happy… would probably not make him happy."

"What will make you happy?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Coffee?"

"Okay," L said and followed Raito down the street.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _If you would review me, I'd greatly appreciate it. _


	4. Inflation

A/N: _Haha, I feel like I did when I was young and in the YGO fandom. Happy. _

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Four.**

-

The next day was burdened with clouds. It seemed as if it would be ready to pour all day long and people walked about with their umbrellas at the ready but at one o' clock in the afternoon when it still hadn't rained, everyone was starting to become skeptical. L, included. He watched out of the window of his small office, leaning his reclining leather chair back and neglecting the charts and graphs on his computer monitor.

Then, a knock on his door and he called out, "Yes?"

The door opened and Raito poked his head in, finding L, as usual, loafing around. He shut the door behind him as he walked inside. "L, are you ready to go to lunch?"

L swiveled around, his expression even more down-trodden than usual.

Raito blinked and then smirked, shaking the hair from his eyes. "A little put out, L?"

"Not more than usual," he responded, sighing.

"Oh, cheer up. I bet you'd feel better if we were to go to the Cheesecake Factory. Right?" Raito grinned as he sat on the corner of the desk. L didn't say anything and Raito looked out of the large window, the sky a light gray. "Wow, it does look like it's going to rain," he mused.

"It is a backdrop for my confusion and malcontent."

"…"

"I thought the flowers would work. In most books or television shows, women find them romantic," L said, turning to look out of the window.

"… You know Mello's a guy, right?"

"I did not think there was much difference."

"_Huh_?"

"I see now that I was wrong," he said and looked up at Raito. "But I do not know how to remedy the situation. I have no idea what a young man like that would want."

Raito shrugged, an eyebrow raised. "Well, don't look at me… I guess you'd have to ask someone his age."

"I don't know any-"

"Excuse me?" There was a knock at the door and a soft voice calling from the other side. "Mr. Lawliet?"

L called, "Come in," and the door opened with Near on the other side, a manila folder in one hand. He seemed surprised to see Raito in there but said nothing, shuffling inside and placing the folder on the desk between the two.

"This is from the fourth floor, the numbers from the Oak Group deal," he said, "and if you could-"

"Yes, thank you, Near," L interrupted, having swiveled back around to face the young man. He stared at him with a piqued interest. "Near, how old are you?"

"… I'm twenty, sir."

Raito raised an eyebrow. _What a tiny thing. He must've been bullied like crazy._

L cut Raito a quick glance and returned his attention to the small white-haired man in front of him. "What would make you happy?" he asked.

Near blinked, tilting his head to the side. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, what would make you finer?"

"… Sir?"

Raito shook his head. "This is going absolutely no where."

Near looked up at Raito and shrugged, taking a lock of his hair between his fingers. "If you mean in a material sense, I suppose a raise would do me some good," he said, thoughtfully.

"Interns don't get raises," Raito said.

"Well, you asked what would make me happy."

L nodded. "I did."

"Since when has money ever made anyone happy?" Raito asked, looking pointedly at L.

"We've got money," he said, gesturing to the two of them and their surroundings, "and we're happy."

"You just got done saying that rain clouds were the backdrop for your _confusion and malcontent_."

"Well, besides that," L said, turning back to Near. "Thank you, Near, for your input on the situation."

Near nodded unsurely and let his hand fall from the curls of his hair. He wasn't sure what the situation was and didn't think he had been a help at all but was content to leave. The two older men watched as he walked out of the room quietly, to go somewhere, maybe to get some lazy person coffee.

L tapped his lower lip thoughtfully.

-

Mello shifted as he leant his elbows on the hard counter of the flower shop. He shifted from foot to foot, completely uncomfortable as a young man, a customer, stood in front of him and babbled on and on. Rosie was in the back room on a call or else Mello would have definitely let her handle this guy. He was no good at these people interactions, all he really wanted to do was sweep and clip the flowers.

"-don't know what she wants," the young man droned. He could be no older than Mello himself and he looked around the shop in confusion, running a hand through his hair. "I'm no flower-wizard, so do you think you could help me?" he asked, looking towards Mello's unwavering expression of boredom.

_Did he just say 'flower-wizard'…?_ Mello looked about the shop. "Well, you know her better than I do… what's she like?"

"She's _really pretty_."

"… most flowers are _really pretty_," Mello mimicked and the customer didn't seem to notice.

He thought for a second.

Mello interrupted his thinking. "What's her favorite color?"

"Um. I'm not sure. I think it's see-through. Do you have any of those?"

"We don't have _invisible_ flowers," Mello replied hotly.

"Oh, I see… well, what should I do?"

Mello shook his head and drummed his fingers on the counter. "Well," he hummed, "what's her name?"

"Irene," he said.

"We have irises. That kind of sounds like Irene. I guess."

"Oh, that sounds great!" He smiled brightly and began to fish his wallet out of his back pocket. "I'll take a dozen of those."

"Great," Mello droned and walked into the backroom. Rosie was still on the phone, talking a mile a minute in the corner, twirling the cord around her pudgy fingers. Mello ignored her and began to clip the irises and take plastic to wrap the bouquet in. When he was finished, he came back into the front and the two of them made the exchange - cash for flowers and a smile for a grunt. When he left, Mello was alone in the front of the shop once again and he wondered if the walkway needed sweeping for the third time that day. He craned his neck and saw the heavy clouds rolling overhead and decided to keep inside.

It was ten more minutes before he heard the phone being set back down and Rosie came out of the back room with the watering can, flouncing about with it.

"Mello, did you make a sale?" she asked, hovering over a stand of azaleas.

"Yeah, a bunch of irises to some weird guy."

"Lovely!"

Mello frowned at her. "Hey, why won't you tell me who bought those flowers for me?"

"Because I must retain the confidence between me and my customers," she cried, turning around and the hem of her apron turned with her. Her jaw was set in a determined pout at the already-pouting blond. "Anonymous is a very revered word in the flower-business. And besides, I'm sure if he really likes you, he'll reveal himself to you soon enough."

_If he does, I'll give him an old-fashioned punch in the snoot._ Mello huffed and turned away.

The bell above the door rang and Mello looked up, ready for another love-struck teenager to come waltzing inside and was rather surprised to find a handsome brunet in a business suit walk in, pausing to look at the flower stands as he made his way to the counter.

"Welcome!" Rosie greeted him with her usual chirrup and a smile. "Looks like we might be having some rain today, right?

He smiled back at her and nodded, "Yes, I'm unfortunate, I've forgotten my umbrella at home."

"Can we help you with anything today, sir?"

"Oh, I'm just looking," he said and turned away.

She turned back to her flowers, humming.

Mello watched the man as he paused to look at a sign advertising the sego lilies that had just arrived and another stand that had little packets of seeds for those do-it-yourselfers. He finally made his way up to the counter and Mello thought he saw the man hold back a smile at the apron Mello wore.

"Can I help you?" he asked, already irritated.

"Yes, I would like to buy…" he paused and glanced over his shoulder. Mello blinked and tilted his head to see what was going on but the man whirled back around with a smile set firmly in place. His left eye was twitching. "I would like a sunflower."

"… A sunflower. You mean like one?"

"Yes, like _one_," he growled, his smile now seeming unnatural.

Mello sighed heavily, "Okay," he said and went to the back to fetch it. He returned, flower in hand, no plastic wrapping or bow or card and handed it over. "That'll be three dollars," he said plainly.

The man nodded, taking his wallet from his coat pocket and fishing around inside. "Oh," he said, "I don't seem to have any ones. Here," and he handed over two hundred-dollar bills.

Mello raised both eyebrows when he walked away briskly and said, "Keep the change. It's a tip."

The bell rang on his way out.

Mello stared down at the money in his hands in shock.

"Oh, Mello! Look at your tip, you must've done a great job with him," Rosie observed excitedly. She ran up to his side and hugged him. "I'm so proud of you!"

Mello bore the embrace without much notice. _What in fuck is going on?_

-

Raito ran across the street and around the corner to the Starbucks there. Sitting at one of the outdoor tables, and the only person having enough nerve to sit outside with the clouds overhead, was L, in a fetal position with a cappuccino in front of him and sunglasses on. He noticed Raito from the other side of the street and pulled out a seat for him as he came to the table.

"How did it-"

"I'm not going back in there and you _can't make me_," Raito said, face a budding thunderstorm of its own. "That was humiliating, L, I probably looked like the biggest creep."

"I will ask no more from you," L said calmly, a small smile emerging from behind the paper cup as he sipped. "I've ordered for you."

Raito sighed, adjusting himself in his seat. "Thanks…"

"So? What happened?"

"Well, he got the money. Really, I can't believe you withdrew that much for him. A stranger! I don't see you spending two hundred on me."

"What about those Armani Weave-Print Oxfords you received for Christmas?"

"… Okay, those were nice," Raito admitted. He leant back in the chair as an employee from the shop came out and set a non-fat latte with orange extract in front of the brunet. Raito raised his eyebrow. "At least you know what I like."

"See? I don't ignore you."

Raito nodded and sipped the drink placidly.

"I wonder if that money will make him happy," L mused, sipping his own.

Raito rolled his eyes. "He's probably never seen that much before from the look of him…"

"Did he seem any happier?"

"He _seemed_ weirded out."

"Hmm. I will have to find out later."

Raito glanced at him over the rim of the cup. "How will you do that?"

L smiled and lowered his sunglasses to the tip of his nose. "That's for me to know."

"… can't you take those things off? You look really silly."

-

There was a deep breath and then the plunge.

Mello flicked the light on and looked about. Thankfully, no flowers. No new ones anyway as he had yet to get rid of the old. They weren't so bad looking, he thought to himself as he closed the door behind himself and came in. It was just the thought that someone out there was possibly infatuated with him that really left a bad taste in his mouth.

But he was about to remedy that with the bag of greasy Taco Bell he currently had in his hand. That rich man who came in and gave him the insane tip was at least good for something. Before that, Mello had considered having rice for the fifth day in a row.

He turned the television on and threw a bouquet of the wilting sunflowers off of the recliner. He sat down heavily and began to rummage through the plastic bag with burritos on top of tacos. The crinkling of the wrapping was accompanied by the bland voices from the television, some late-night court show.

Mello watched without much interest and chewed monotonously.

He looked over to the other chair by the coffee table, the one with three legs, that Matt had broken by sitting on it the wrong way. He huffed and chewed more vigorously, trying to ignore the mental image of a redhead rocking away on a wooden chair and laughing when he fell to his ass.

Maybe he would spend some of this big tip on a new chair.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thoughts, questions? Hit me._


	5. Hips

A/N: _Thanks for the support, guys. Hope you enjoy._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Five.**

-

"The downtown area is an interesting one," L said the next morning as he reclined in the comfortable passenger's seat of Raito's silver Lexus. Raito's car had come back from the body shop a week late but looking ten times better than it had after Raito ran into a fire hydrant. L decided to pester the brunet for a ride to work and Raito didn't mind, happy to have control over the radio which played one of his many Shakira tapes.

Raito looked over at him as he turned the corner. "What makes you say that?"

'_Oh baby when you talk like that, you make a woman go mad_,' the speakers hummed and L had to speak over it.

"Everything is _level_." L held out his hands, palms up to show what he meant. He narrowed his eyes. "So that means if you are on the roof of one building with a pair of binoculars, you can see perfectly into an adjacent building on almost any floor."

Raito quirked an eyebrow. "That's a weird observation, L."

"It is a useful one. Speaking of which, I do believe Mello appreciated the gift of money." He nodded to himself. "I think we are on the right track. Remind me to thank Near, he is truly in tune with the young people of today."

"Near really didn't help, you know…"

"Oh?"

'_Come on let's go, real slow…'_

L frowned at the speakers and tried to ignore the bumping his seat was doing in reaction to the bass. He looked over at Raito. "Must we really indulge your obsession for sexual music?"

"I know you're not criticizing me, not after a week of listening to Ryan Farish in your car."

L shrugged, looking towards the street.

Raito rolled his eyes. "And anyway, what's this about Mello? How do you know he was satisfied?"

"… That is the problem with this woman's music. Her hip-shaking and belly-wiggling distract you from listening to me when I divulge the adventures of my evening. I went to the building across from Mello's apartment and looked to see what he was doing. It seems that he had purchased some food and was enjoying it."

"Wait a minute, you can't _see _Shakira through the speakers so how does that distract - what."

Raito had never parallel parked so quickly in his life and when they were safely tucked between two other cars, Raito shut the engine off. The music died on '_half animal, half ma_-' and Raito turned his full attention to the dark-haired man sitting next to him, very surprised at the sudden parking.

"_L_. You _didn't_," Raito stressed, beseeching L to tell him it was all some sick joke.

"For the third time, I tell you that I did. Do not be cross with me, Raito, I only-"

"_Peeped in on a young boy_! L, this is… I just… good Lord," he sighed, eyes wide as he sat back his seat. He raised a hand to his forehead and brushed a few stray locks to the side, staring up at the rearview mirror.

L shook his head. "Raito, he is not a young boy. He's a full grown man."

"Well that doesn't make it any better! How would you feel if you knew someone had spied on you while you were in the comfort and safety of your own home?"

"I would wonder why it was being done."

"L, he needs privacy!"

L pursed his lips, lowering both eyebrows. He leaned forward as if to share a secret and said in a confidential tone, "Raito. If he had not wanted anyone to look in, his window would not have been open."

Raito frowned heavily and threw his hands into the air. "Oh, his window's always open! How else would he throw things out of it? Jesus, L!"

"I do not need Jesus. What I need is to help him," he said and looked into Raito's eyes.

"I understand that, L, I understand how you feel. I honestly do. But looking in on him while he's at home is not the way to do it. Understand? Promise me you won't do that anymore, all right? The last thing I need is to get a call at three AM in the morning from you in county jail, asking for me to bail you out. Promise me, L!"

There was a pause. Then, a sigh. "Fine. I promise."

"Thank you," Raito exhaled with relief. He caught sight of his watch and groaned, reaching for the key in the ignition, thinking they'd better get going.

L put a hand on Raito's and caught his attention. "However," he said, "I hope you have a suitable alternative."

-

Around ten that morning, Near was asked to make a quick run to the third floor. There were some questions about how the finances were set up to hold the Oak Group deal and Near was told to go straight to Mr. Lawliet's office to take back that manila folder which should have been filled with all the information. Near, dutiful as ever, made his way to the third floor with a cup of coffee in hand for the man he was going to see.

He arrived in front of the door and before even knocking, he took notice of a yellow sticky-note on the door with some scribbled text that read, '_Out to lunch_.'

Near double-checked his watch and was highly confused. He looked up when a man walked by and tapped him, asking, "Excuse me, but have you seen Mr. Lawliet? It's very important that I retrieve something from him."

He seemed to give it some thought and then jerked a thumb in the direction of the elevator. "Actually," he said, "I think I saw him run that way about twenty minutes ago. But if you want to know where he went, I'd ask Yagami on the fourth floor. They seem to always be together… loafing around… Hey, are you going to drink that coffee?"

Near nodded and walked for the elevator, leaving the man thirsty and agitated.

Once inside the elevator, he stood on tiptoe to press the button to the fourth floor and rode upwards quietly. The doors opened for him and he found his way to the end of the hallway and Raito's office. He looked up, fist poised to knock, and found a note posted up on the door that read, '_Dragged to lunch_.'

"Ugh."

-

The day was mild, a great day to be out and about, which was why the top was down on Raito's car, L reasoned. Raito didn't like being so exposed, especially not when they were doing this kind of work. He sort of wished L still had those ridiculous sunglasses and an extra pair for him so that they could go about this without being recognized. Raito was ducking down by the wheel but when he looked over at L, he seemed to be enjoying himself, his obsidian eyes reflecting the sun as he watched the sidewalk crowds and the young blond traveling in them.

"L, get your head down," Raito whispered harshly.

L blinked, looking back at the brunet with his nose to the steering wheel. "You're so conspicuous, Raito. He's a half-block ahead of us. Oh… look, he's going in that store."

"I don't know how I let you talk me into this."

"It's your penance for taking my peeping privileges away from me."

"… _Penance_?" Raito screeched.

"Park here," L commanded.

Raito did as he was told and did it with a reluctant sigh. Mello had been walking for blocks and finally arrived at his destination, a small shop in the middle of the street called _Boom_. Mello seemed to pause just outside of the door, looking up at the silver sign and then, eventually, going in.

L hopped out of the car, followed by Raito and as they approached the shop, L said, "What do you think it is?"

"It's a clothing store, of course. It's pretty popular. You'd know that if you ever bought any clothes," Raito said, giving L's raggedy attire a once-over.

L kicked at an unseen pebble on the ground. "I don't care much for fashion."

"I can see that. Well, let's go in then."

They walked towards the building and as they pushed the glass doors open, L smirked at his coworker, saying, "I didn't think you'd be so eager to come in after him."

"If this is the only thing that will get you to be silent and work the rest of the day," Raito droned, averting his gaze.

The shop was cool after being out in the sun and soft music was floating down through the speakers. A few people were dispersed throughout the store and a man who apparently worked there, decked out in a red vest with a nametag, stood by the counter and waved at the two of them in greeting. Raito lifted a hand in return and turned to see his coworker gone from his side.

He ducked down quickly and looked around, careful not to be recognized by Mello. He didn't see the blond in the immediate area and walked to the left side of the store, trying to peer over the racks of clothes and around the pillars.

"L," he whispered harshly, hoping his astray friend could hear him over the music. "L!"

"Yes?"

Raito gasped as he came around the pillar and found L posted up against it. "_Ooh_," he said, "don't scare me that way! What're you doing anyway? Where's… oh." Raito looked up ahead to find the blond a few yards away, looking at a wall that held up leather vests and leather pants, all black and shiny under the dimmed lighting.

L seemed to be considering. "I think he likes them."

"Oh. Well, I don't know if two hundred will buy those, they look really expensive," Raito hummed, watching with a distasteful eye the clothes that Mello wore - a hoodie stretched out of shape and jeans torn and frayed at the hem from dragging on the concrete of the city for too long.

-

Fucking awesome.

Mello looked up at the vest and knew it was for him. It seemed that he was destined to come here and find it, take it home with him and the two of them would live in wedded bliss. He would give the vest Matt's bed.

That, of course, was before he saw the price tag dangling from the back of the collar like an ominous thing that meant to stand in the way of their love. Four hundred and fifty dollars was not in his budget at the moment, not even with the two hundred he'd gotten from the strange man the other day. Mello looked down and saw the matching black leather pants that hung at eye-level. The hems of the pockets were beaded with silver and they swirled down the sides of the legs.

He sighed to himself, shaking his head. Maybe someday. If he ever got a real job and didn't snip flowers for a living.

He was about to walk away, maybe find some underwear within his price range and just as he turned, he was confronted with a man in uniform walking up.

"Oh, I'm just looking," Mello said instinctively.

"Do you like these clothes?" He asked, pointing to the black vest and the pants.

Mello nodded, pursing his mouth. "Yeah, I do," he said, not bothering to tell the man he couldn't afford them.

"Would you like me to bag them for you? I've been instructed to let you have whatever you'd like," he said, smiling widely, and Mello recognized that smile. It was the smile of a salesperson who has just made a large sale.

"… _What_? By who?"

"Just a gentleman," he said and Mello suspected that he had been given hush money.

The next ten minutes went by like some sort of strange dream. Mello walked to the back of the store with the outfit in his arms, the clerk led him into one of the dressing rooms so that he could try it on. Mello took off his old clothes, stiff from too many days without a wash, and pulled the leather on his skin, sliding it over his flesh and it hugged him tightly.

He didn't know what he looked like until he came out and saw the mirror, the person he was now. It was a huge difference and Mello slid his hand up the side of his thigh, the strict material holding his curves and moving as he turned around.

"_Damn_," he shouted, unzipping the vest a little and eyeing himself happily. "This looks amazing!"

The salesman's grin didn't falter and he nodded, saying, "Yes, indeed! Looks amazing! Shall I bag those up for you, sir?"

"Yeah, okay," Mello hummed, still admiring himself.

-

L whistled behind a thumb pressed to his mouth and grinned lopsidedly at Raito. "He looks quite nice, wouldn't you say?"

Raito frowned. "It looks a thousand times better, but L, really… so much money."

"It's for a good cause."

"That's up for debate…"

"He looks quite good."

"You _said _that."

-

L had seen Mello walk out of the store with a giant grin spread across his face but headed back to IDM before the guilt and worry set in with Mello. As he walked home, bags in hand, the idea of someone buying such expensive things for him, someone he didn't even know, consumed him. The whole purchase had to be over seven hundred dollars and Mello had a strong suspicion that the brunet from the other day was the one behind all of this.

It was almost a thousand dollars he'd been given not to mention the huge order of sunflowers that now lay wilting around his apartment. It was a strange feeling, knowing that he was out there somewhere, perhaps watching him at that very moment. Mello looked around, searching the crowds for that brunet with the plastic smile.

Why would he buy all this stuff for him?

_Maybe_, Mello thought, _he's going to come back someday and expect payment for all this stuff. _Mello's active imagination conjured up an image of himself sitting alone in his apartment when, all of a sudden, the rich brunet breaks in and laughs manically, taking Mello and throwing him to the mattress-

Mello decided to stop himself there.

_No way in hell I'll ever let that happen!_ he determined and went home to put up his new clothes. He was due at the flower shop around one and took his time, leisurely checking his surroundings. He thought that if he ever saw that man again, he would question him extensively. There was too much going on and he definitely did not need a stalker. That was probably one of the few things Matt was good for - he kept people from thinking that Mello was available. They may not have been in a relationship but walking around together gave off that sort of vibe.

And Mello guessed maybe Matt did give everyone else a 'back the fuck off' sort of glance every once in a while. That helped.

Mello put his newly acquired items in his closet, and stared at them. They seemed out of place in such a crappy apartment and Mello was feeling less than great about the way he'd attained such lovely garments but it was too late. He looked too damn good in them to give them back.

He told Rosie that, a condensed summary of that thought, when he arrived to work and was tying the strings of his apron behind his back.

"Leather?" she questioned, looking up at him. "I've never seen you in leather, Mello! I didn't think that was your style."

"Well neither did I before I saw it," he said, remembering. "But then I tried it on and it was just perfect." It almost made him shiver, really, to think about the way the fabric hugged his hips and cupped his ass with a lover's touch. Mello grinned at the image of himself twirling about in that mirror, looking hotter than a fried egg. He really couldn't wait to wear them around town, a club maybe.

Rosie walked around the counter, joining him in surveying the store. "I don't know much about fashion but I heard _Boom_ is pretty expensive."

"Yeah… this guy must have some money."

She giggled, earning a confused stare from her employee and giggled even harder, turning a light pink in the cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, Mello, please excuse me. It's just that I saw a movie just on Lifetime last week. You see, the heroin was just like you-"

"I'm not a heroin," he protested loudly.

"Oh!"

Mello folded his arms over his chest firmly. "Rosie, listen, I think I have an idea who this guy is. Remember that man in the business suit who gave me that big tip?"

"Him? He was quite handsome."

"_I_ don't care about _that_," Mello said, frowning. "I need your help. If we see that guy again, I need to talk to him. I gotta tell him to cut this stuff out, it's really creepy."

She nodded excitedly. "This is _it_!"

"What's it?"

"This is just the sort of thing to happen… in a drama."

"This is not a drama!"

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thanks for reading. Any comments for me?_


	6. Crash

A/N: _So much crap going on. You know, I'm almost done with my paper on the obese. I hate doing work cited pages... shit. _

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Six.**

-

After going out for a real lunch, L and Raito made their way back to the office with Raito complaining all the way about how they shouldn't have taken so long. L reminded him that the company would not go under because Raito took a ninety-minute lunch break.

When they arrived on the third floor, the first thing either of them saw was Near walking past with two cups of coffee in his hands. He turned in their direction and his gray eyes widened upon finding L walking along the hallway.

"Mr. Lawliet," he called.

"Hello, Near," he hummed, walking away. "How've you been?" He didn't seem too interested in the answer.

Near followed him, shuffling as quickly as he could without spilling his drinks. "No, Mr. Lawliet, I've been looking for you all morning. The fifth floor needs that manila folder; are the numbers corrected yet?"

"Oh, that. Yes, it's in my office. Follow me," he said and craned his neck to find Near doing just that. He walked beside Raito and the brunet seemed dead-set on going back to his own office but L angled him a certain way and they all ended up at the door to L's office.

The door was opened and the two eldest walked in first. L went to search around his desk and found the folder Near was after, holding it out to the younger man as he sat. Near stepped forward, ready to take it, but frowned at the predicament that the two cups of coffee were creating. They all stared at the drinks in silence.

"… Here, I'll help you," Raito said, sighing and taking one of the cups for himself. He blew at it and finally sipped.

Near frowned and took the folder with his free hand.

Raito swallowed and looked at him again. "Why do you always carry random cups of coffee around with you, Near? It's very nice but…"

"They are not random. That was for Mr. Hibiki on the fifth floor," he said bluntly.

"… Oh," he hummed and sipped again, slightly embarrassed.

"Near," L called, garnering his attention from frowning at Raito. "Do you remember that conversation we had the other day? About happiness?"

"Vaguely," he responded.

"Well, I'd like to give you a scenario."

"Is it business-related?" Near asked with some abstract hope of being treated like a professional equal. His hopes were dashed when L shook his head, no. Near sighed, thinking about the other coffee, the one for Ms. Weatherly on the second floor, wondering if the chilly AC would get to it first or greedy Raito.

L cleared his throat, sitting back in the chair. "Let's say you run someone over with your car-"

Raito spit out his mouthful of hot coffee. Near gasped, now wet.

L ignored them both, continuing, "-and you find that someone very close to your victim is hurting. You can't get this person out of your mind, no matter what you do and all you want is to make them happy. But your efforts don't seem to bring much more than confusion and paranoia. What would you do?"

Near looked up from wiping off his blazer, giving L a sort of confused, disbelieving look. He was beginning to suspect that two of the company's most capable workers were engaged in nighttime role-plays. Before he could try to summon an answer, Raito had set down his cup of coffee and was pulling L into a miniature huddle, scolding him under his breath.

In a moment, Raito turned around and made a shooing motion with his hand. "Near, that'll be all. Thank you."

Near sighed, shaking his head, and left quietly, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

Raito grunted. "Honestly, L."

-

The next three days were almost normal. Raito had gotten L to get back to work after an almost calamitous miscalculation on his part through the Oak Group's quarterly earnings. He had absentmindedly written the percentages out as 13, 5, 12, 12 and 15, which happened to be a certain someone's name alphabetically. Raito didn't find this at all funny and some of the men on the fifth floor wondered if L needed a vacation - after all, he had never taken one in the six years he'd been at IDM.

L sat at his desk and ordered lunch in, trying to get through all the things he'd neglected and had a hard time thinking of things that had nothing to do with Mello. He hadn't even seen him in a few days and wondered if he was any better off without any of L's meddling in his daily life. Raito sometimes comforted him in saying that humans were very adaptable creatures and Mello seemed very human. L didn't think that made much sense but didn't bother to question it.

He would lay in his bed at night, staring up at the ceiling and, for some reason, see Mello lounging around in those leather pants. He had looked very nice and L thought that Mello seemed to be the person that would do very good if placed in a well-to-do family - if only he had been raised differently, perhaps, he could wear leather like that all the time. He would shut his eyes and beg for sleep. Sleep seldom came.

It was Monday morning when L came out of his office and headed for the kitchen on the second floor. There was a refrigerator there, one which most people used to store sandwiches and slices of cake made by their loving spouses. L never put anything in there after hearing the horror story about a birthday-surprise gone wrong. Some coworkers chipped in for a cake for a just-turned thirty-year-old and when lunchtime rolled around, they went to get the cake from the fridge - as it turned out, one slice was missing out of the box and they spent the rest of the day searching for an employee with blue frosting on their fingertips.

When L walked in, he was greeted with the sight of the young intern, Near, fiddling with the coffee maker on the counter. L headed over to the cooler and grabbed a paper cup. He heard Near's tiny grunts of impatience and asked, "What's wrong?"

Near looked back over his shoulder, surprised to have L sneak up like that. "Oh, Mr. Lawliet… nothing, but I've got five orders of coffee and this machine is broken."

"I can put in a work-order, if you like."

Near sighed. The _printer_ wasn't even fixed yet.

L noticed Near's slight pout and gestured to the water-cooler. "Perhaps you can get them water instead."

"It is not the same..."

"You know, Near, your job as an intern should not constitute getting greedy people caffeine. You should be doing paper-filing, like a proper young man."

"I'm aware but there's never any to be done."

L thought for a moment, tapping his lower lip with a thumb. "Actually," he said, "I believe Mr. Yagami has some data-entry that might need to be done… most certainly, he does not have a taste for such things. I will arrange that for you."

An emotion flashed in Near's eyes, something akin to gratitude, and he nodded his head. "Thank you, Mr. Lawliet. I would like that very much."

"I know," he said, and took his water and turned for the doorway.

"Um, Mr. Lawliet," Near called, stopping the man in the threshold. "I just wanted to tell you, I gave your scenario some thought. While running for coffee, one doesn't have to think so much and so I had some time… I think that if I was in such a predicament, I would want to make peace. I would go and talk to this person and see if I could offer any assistance."

L perked up at hearing this. "You would go talk to them?"

"Yes. If I could help, I'm sure they would tell me."

There was a pause. "I see." He looked down to the linoleum tiled floor, considering, and then nodded, a small smile appearing. "Yes, I see. Thank you for your input, Near, you are helpful as always."

"Mr. Lawliet?"

"Yes?"

"That scenario. It's real, isn't it?" He tilted his head.

"… Yes, it is. But keep that to yourself, we don't want the men upstairs to know my dirty secrets, right?" He disappeared behind the wall and faintly, his footsteps could be heard, mingling with the sound of typing and mild chit-chat.

Near sighed. _Yes, sir._

-

"Oh my, oh my, oh my…"

Mello recognized the worried murmurs even from around the corner and sped his walking to see what was going on with Rosie. He found her right in front of the shop doors, key ring in hand and apparently hadn't opened the store up even though it was after nine. Mello walked up beside her and she gasped, crying out, "Oh, Mello, you're here! I'm so glad!"

"What's going on?" he asked and found he didn't need an answer as a man, huddled up in a few layers of tattered jackets, was snoozing in front of the doors, blocking the way. Mello grunted, having found the homeless on the stoop of his own apartment building many mornings before.

"I just don't know what to do," Rosie moaned, getting herself into a tizzy. "I tried to wake him, but I didn't want to touch him - Mello!"

She called after the blond but it was too late and Mello had already given the bum a swift kick in the side, effectively waking him and he snorted and growled, scrambling to his feet. He hurried away when he saw Mello's unhappy face and skulked around the side of the building.

Mello sighed. "You just gotta make 'em understand they can't sleep anywhere-" he was interrupted, suddenly, with one of Rosie's tight hugs as she commended him on saving the entire store. He growled at the embrace and soon enough she toddled off to open up the doors.

She bounced in, turning the front lights on and Mello followed suit, walking over to the coat rack by the counter and taking his apron from it. He began to tie the strings behind his back and settled into his normal lean on the counter. He heard Rosie in the back, fiddling with the watering can and she called out to him, "It's going to be a great day today, Mello! Didn't you see the sun outside?"

"Yeah, s'damn hot outside is what it is…" Mello grumbled.

Rosie came into the front room, watering can in hand. "What'd you say?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You know what I was thinking, Mello? I had a thought last night and I told my husband and he thought it was great."

"What's that?" he mumbled, mouth half covered by a palm.

"We should have music in the store. Like the department stores in the mall! It's just too quiet around here. I also heard that flowers react positively to gentle music, so maybe…"

Mello shook his head. "Rosie, this isn't a department store. And flowers can't hear."

"Oh, fiddlesticks! Mello, don't you like music?"

"The kind of music _I_ like would kill all the flowers."

She looked over at him, blinking.

The bell above the door jingled and both employees perked up, ready to make a sale and Mello immediately held back a face at seeing a slightly hunched-over figure standing in the threshold. The man's hair was wild but seemed to have been smoothed down in the front, his bangs blowing in front of deeply ringed eyes.

Rosie didn't seem fazed at all and she beamed at him. "Hello, there! How are you, sir?"

He nodded at her. "I'm fine, thank you." He directed his gaze towards the counter and Mello, walking up to him.

Mello sighed. Just another day in the funhouse, he supposed. "Can I help you?" he asked.

The man gave a sort of crooked smile. "Yes, actually. I'm here for an application."

"… An application? You mean like a job application?"

"Indeed."

Mello gaped and gave Rosie a look of dread as she gasped happily, running over to the two of them. She began to speak about how they needed help so badly and all Mello could think was, _No way!_

"-it's really very difficult when Mello has a day off and it's just me, or when I have a day off and it's just poor Mello," she was saying, ticking her woes off on her fingers. She looked up at L and smiled. "Do you have any references?"

"I do."

Mello turned to Rosie. "Can I talk to you in private?"

She blinked up at him, nodding, and followed him into the back room, calling out to the potential employee, "One moment, sir!"

Once in the room, Mello snuck a peek out at the man once again before turning his full attention to Rosie.

"What's wrong, Mello?"

"Hey, come on, I know you want some help but we can't say yes to any Tom, Dick and Harry that walks in off the street," Mello reasoned, frowning heavily.

"Oh, but he's darling!"

"There's nothing _darling_ about him, he looks like he's a step away from that hobo this morning."

"He'd look much better in one of our aprons, I think," she said, contemplating the image.

Mello contemplated the image, too, and didn't like what he was seeing. "Rosie," he moaned, "are you serious?"

"Like a heart attack! Come on, let's go tell him the great news!"

She marched right in there, leaving Mello to wallow in his sorrow and he heard her shout, "Congratulations!" at the man outside. He shook his head to himself and thought that this was clearly all Matt's fault. If he wasn't such a stubborn fool, he'd be alive and in this shop and they'd snip flowers together and Rosie would call them cute all day long. But now he had to work with some creepy-looking hobo. Jesus, Matt.

Mello gave himself a minute before walking back out into the main room and Rosie already had the tape-measurer out, getting the strange man's waist size for his impending uniform. She looked up from him and smiled at Mello. "Mello, come introduce yourself to your new coworker!"

Mello huffed and walked forward. "I'm Mello," he said bluntly.

He smiled back, uninterested in Rosie's bustling about him and extended a hand to the blond. "I'm L. Pleased to meet you, Mello," he said and looked into Mello's eyes as if he could find some color other than blue. Mello took his hand, ready to throw a tantrum if it was greasy or sticky, but it was soft and the skin there was smooth. He took his hand away quickly and stuck it in his jean pocket, turning away to do some sweeping.

-

"I have something to tell you and I don't think you will be happy to hear it. This is why I've chosen to tell you over the phone."

Raito sat down on his bed immediately, feeling his stomach sink down into his feet somewhere. "Oh, God, L," he moaned, horrible scenarios running through his mind, "what have you done? Tell me you didn't peep again, oh please, just tell me that!"

"I have done no peeping."

A sigh of relief. Then, apprehension. "What was it then?"

"I met Mello today."

"… What? How?"

"I went to his place of business, obtained employment there, and called IDM to take a vacation."

"…"

"Raito, if you have fainted, I will call the paramedics in five minutes, but I am fixing a piece of pie and-"

"You're an idiot, you know that? Absolutely… L… I just don't know what to say! You've caused me to be speechless!"

"Quite a feat," L said, mouth full of some sort of pie.

"Why would you take it so far? You don't even know this guy-"

"Ah, ah. That's not the case anymore. We've shaken hands."

Raito growled, "That's not the point I'm trying to make! What about your job? The one that pays for your electricity and rent for that nice apartment, your car note… what about all that stuff? A flower shop is not going to maintain-"

"I'm on paid vacation. It won't be for long. I have been enlightened… a little albino told me if I wanted to make this young man happy, I have to just go up and ask. It was so simple and brilliant, I have no idea why I didn't see it before."

"… Little albino? You mean _Near_?"

"Names are not important."

"Listen, I know why you didn't do this before and it's because you mowed his friend over with a car!"

"Well, I won't be telling him it was me," L said like it was so obvious.

Raito frowned. He looked around his room for a bottle of aspirin. "L," he sighed, "you're a grown man, you do what you want. But if you get into trouble, don't come crawling to me!"

"You know I'll walk."

"Ugh."

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _-stabs self- Send good vibes - I've got a test in Bio and a French paper to turn in today. Anyway, please comment and tell me your thoughts. _


	7. Elle

A/N: _Fucking hell! That glitch was endless. Anyways... _

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Seven.**

-

The next morning, for the first time in nearly six years, L left his blazer at home. He walked out into the city, opting to leave his fancy-looking car and giving Mello a possible hint that he might have a lot of money. L strolled down the concrete and felt good, light, as if he were no longer weighted with the daily woes of a businessman. Woes that Raito took all too seriously and he was probably at the office right then, worrying about all the things that would fall to his shoulders in L's absence.

The sign _Rosie's Posies_ was large and yellow with hand-painted flowers and their stems wrapping around the letters. L spotted it from a block away and thought of Mello's face and how he had seemed so displeased to be working with him the day before. That would just have to change, L thought as he opened the door, because he was going to make this man happy, whether he liked it or not.

"Good morning," L greeted, the bell ringing above him.

Mello looked up, surprisingly the only one in the store, and he withheld whatever smile he usually offered newcomers, instead giving a tight-lipped, unreadable expression. The flowers smelled nice, at least, and L walked forward, his sneakers squeaking against the newly mopped tile.

"Rosie's out at her car," Mello said, propping himself up on his elbows. "She went to get your uniform."

"Is it as nice as yours?"

Mello gaped, offended. "Hey, you know, I didn't ask for this apron! You can't just walk around insulting-"

"You misunderstand," L interrupted, "I do think it is nice."

"Yeah, right."

He nodded. "It is right. I like the daisy around your name," he said and pointed to the leafed stem wrapping around the M on _Mello_. Mello groaned, looking away. L joined him in turning his direction towards the door as it opened, Rosie coming through with a green garment in her arms. She beamed at L's arrival and held out the fabric.

"Guess what I've got," she sang. "And it's just for you, L! Come have a look, see if you like it!"

L nodded and approached her around the counter. She held it up for his inspection and said, "I spent quite a while on it, I wanted to you have different flowers on your nametag than Mello's."

"Ah, a sunflower," he hummed and she grinned widely. He blinked and pointed to the nametag. "You spelled my name E-L-L-E."

"… You mean the name's not French?"

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," he hummed and in the background Mello snorted some mean-spirited laughter at L's expense. Rosie scolded him lightly with something along the lines of, "oh, Mello, shame on you…"

L shook his head, sporting a half-smirk as he took the apron from her. He donned it with a bit of satisfaction and liked the boyish idea of being a super secret agent, with a fake name and identity, a mission appointed to him by the president. He held his arms out and asked them what they thought.

Rosie answered cheerfully, "Wonderful! It's finally like you're working for us!"

Mello folded his arms over his chest as L joined him at the register. "What kind of name is _L_, anyway?" he asked. "What's your _real_ name?"

"Laura, but I didn't have the creativity to think of a boy's name after my sex-change," he replied blandly.

Mello took a step back, mouth in the shape of a small 'o'.

Rosie laughed heartily and headed for the back room. "He's so funny!"

"That wasn't a joke," Mello accused.

"Of course it was," L said.

Mello didn't seem to buy it and perked up at Rosie calling to him, "Mello, please show L how to use the cash register! He'll be your partner-in-crime up there, your… your comrade!"

There was a certain apprehension in Mello's movements - he turned to the register at the counter, eyeing L for a moment and pressed a button on the screen. A digital list of flowers came up and in the corner there was a sign that said _page one of fourteen_. Mello cleared his throat. "You ever used a cash register before?"

"I have not," L answered.

Mello raised an eyebrow. "Really? Didn't you ever have a fast food job?"

"No."

"… Where did you work before here?"

L thought for a moment before answering, wondering if he should destroy all contacts with his workplace. He said at length, "IDM Inc."

Mello furrowed his brow. "What, that big company on the other side of town? What'd you do there?"

"I was a waste attendant."

"Agh, a janitor," Mello groaned, crinkling his nose as if L's work could have followed him from across town. He thought then that must have been the reason for the man's sloppy appearance.

L nodded seriously, placing a thumb to his lower lip. "Yes, but now I am a flower-man, so I have moved up a step."

"A _step_? And don't call us flower-men!"

"Mel_lo_," Rosie called, "is L a register aficionado yet?"

"Al_most_," Mello called back, rolling his eyes like an annoyed child calling to his mother. He decided to leave L's passed jobs alone for the moment and returned his attention to the register. "Listen," he said, "it's pretty simple. Just press the button of whatever flower the customer orders. Then the amount here… taxes add themselves. Every flower's worth something different."

"Do we have every flower in existence?"

Mello frowned. "No, we _do not_. But we can order most stuff if we don't already have it… if you have any questions, just ask me."

"Of course. Will it be busy today?"

"Pah, yeah right! It's never busy in here! Unless it's like Valentine's Day… It's really boring." He nodded to himself as he leaned on the counter. "It might even be more boring than your janitor job."

"Nothing can be more boring than that," L said, thinking. He looked at Mello. "Would you like more customers?"

"S'yeah… at least my checks would be bigger…"

"I see."

Suddenly, a ringing from the telephone in the back room and it was cut off by Rosie. In a moment, she called out, "L, the telephone's for you! It's a Mr. Yagami on the line!"

L blinked and walked through the threshold, taking the phone offered to him. Rosie walked away, calling him a popular young man. L took the receiver from where it sat on one of the counters and said, "Why are you calling my new place of business?"

"L, what is wrong with you? I've got Near at my office door with a cup of coffee and a really creepy smile on his face," Raito whispered harshly. "He says you informed me that he would be my personal assistant!"

"… Oh, I do recall. Yes, Raito, Near will be your-"

"It doesn't work _now_!"

"Calm down. Just let him do your data entry and some filing, maybe some errands. At least you know you won't be out of coffee with him around. He is quite earnest, isn't he?"

"I'm not sure _earnest_ is the right word… he's heard what you've said and is setting up camp just outside my door… L…"

"Well, now that that is all cleared up, I must return to work."

Raito sighed. "I still don't know how you get a job there. We need you here, there's so much work to be done. Everyone is under a lot of stress."

"That's too bad."

"_L_-"

"Wait a moment… I have an idea. Send Near on his first errand…"

-

L walked back into the front room, straitening his apron as he went. Rosie was watering flowers and Mello was dealing with a customer who had just walked in. L walked up to the counter and Mello eyed him for a second before presenting the young woman to L.

"You try it," Mello whispered and moved to the side, letting L have at it.

L nodded and addressed the woman, "Hello, how may I be of service?"

She was a short blonde with a set jaw and spoke to L as if she was one of great importance. "Right, hello. I need a parcel of alagaw, please," she said, staring at L with urgency.

L looked at Mello and said, "What is that? I've not heard of that flower before."

"That's not a flower," Mello protested, frowning at the woman.

She frowned to match his, tilting her head up with an indignant eyebrow raised. "What's that? It is too, I looked it up on Google."

"Google?" Mello screeched.

"Oh, I know about alagaw," Rosie chimed in, coming over just before Mello and the customer got into some fort of fist-fight. She came up to the counter and stood beside the ruffled customer and said with reverence, "Alagaw is a herb, used to cure headaches, flatulence and light coughing. It's actually very helpful."

Mello made a face.

"That's _right_," said the woman, mollified with Rosie's definition. She turned back to Mello. "My husband has eaten too much rocky-road ice cream again and is fumigating our household. Now, please give me a parcel-"

"Even if it is a real plant, Rosie said it's a _herb_ and this is a _flower_ shop. We don't have your fart-medicine," Mello spat, obviously unhappy.

"True, true," Rosie said, nodding.

Mello grinned.

The customer shook her head. "This isn't satisfying service!"

"Allow us to offer you a replacement," said L, walking around the counter to one of the stands Rosie had just finished watering. He motioned to a few rows of lavender and said to the woman, "This lavender will be even more potent a solution for your problem than the alagaw. Simply crush it and place it in some boiling water and then have your husband drink it. Would you like some?"

She seemed delighted and clasped her hands between her breasts. "Yes, that would be lovely! Thank you, sir." She turned to Mello, nodding superiorly, "See, that's something else you don't know."

Mello gaped, enraged. Before he could cause a ruckus, L began to ring the woman up for her purchase and Rosie got the lavender together. The woman called a thank you back to L and left the store in a few minutes, the bell ringing above the door as she departed.

"My," Rosie said, returning to the flowers, "You certainly know what makes the customer happy, L. What a tough one!"

"Was that really safe?" Mello asked. "Can you eat lavender?"

"I'm sure he'll just have a little tummy ache," Rosie mused.

"Uh…"

L nodded. "I enjoyed that."

"You were very good," Rosie complemented him. "Soon, you may even be as good as Mello and get a two-hundred dollar tip!" She smirked mischievously as Mello groaned at the attention and looked back at the two of them. "Right?"

"Do you have to say stuff like that?" Mello grumbled, hoping L wouldn't ask about it but his hopes were always dashed.

"A two-hundred dollar tip, you say?" L placed a thumb to his bottom lip and studied the blond. "You must be very pleasing, Mello," he murmured.

"… What was that?"

The bell rung again and everyone present stood at mild attention, ready for the next customer. A small boy in a business suit walked into the store, whitish curls around his cheeks and his gray eyes surveying the place. Mello whispered a, "What the fuck?" under his breath as the young man seemed like a ten-year-old parading around the house in Daddy's suit.

Despite the gawking he received from Mello and the giggles from Rosie, he approached the counter with indifference and slight dignity. L nodded at him and Near examined his new uniform and thought the name Elle was an interesting choice for undercover work.

"Good morning," he greeted.

L was nudged by Mello to handle the little guy and he said, "Yes, how may I be of service?"

"I am here to purchase flowers for my co-workers," said Near, eyeing the two of them. "I would like orchids, sunflowers and white roses, twelve bouquets of each."

Mello gaped, eyes wide.

"Yahoo!" Rosie cheered, rushing to the back room. "Come along, boys! We've got work to do!"

Mello followed after Rosie, mumbling to himself about crazy rich people coming in through the store. L turned to Near quickly and said, "Thank you, Near, you've done quite well."

He took the praise without comment. "Was he the man you plan to make happy?" he asked, looking into the doorway.

"He is."

"He does not seem happy."

"It is a work in progress," L informed him.

"Ah."

L was then called back by Rosie and he left Near standing at the counter to smell the fragrant flowers. Rosie quickly showed L where the wrapping plastic was and the ribbon they used to tie up bouquets - L was surprised to see all of the colors they had available and since Near didn't specify what color he'd like, Rosie put pink on every one. Mello was griping under his breath as he cut the flowers and L watched him for future reference.

Mello's blond hair kept falling across his face as he bent over the rows of orchids. He kept brushing the locks back with his upper arm and Rosie giggled at him, walking in between him and L and tugged on Mello's shirt sleeve. "I keep telling him to wear a scrunchie," she said to L, "but he won't hear of it."

"That's right," Mello grunted.

L thought of Mello with a piece of pink ribbon holding his hair up, the kind Rosie was placing around the wrapping, and the image held his attention.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Mello said to him, passing by with an armload of sunflowers, "Don't just laze around, help out!"

L nodded and found another pair of clippers.

In another ten minutes, the three of them were able to get the flowers together and when Mello rang up the order, it came to nearly one thousand dollars. Near nodded and opened his wallet, beginning to lay bills on the counter.

"Whaaat, you're paying in cash?" Mello asked.

Near looked up at him, nodded, and resumed depositing the bills.

Mello rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for your patronage, young man!" Rosie said to him, smiling as if he were her long-lost son. "Do you need any help with all those bags?"

"No thank you, I've taken a cab." Near looked back at the raven-haired worker. "Goodbye, Mr. Lawliet."

"Goodbye," L said.

Near made his exit, waddling with all the bags and, just outside the large windows, the staff of Rosie's Posies could see the young man being met by the taxi driver parked on the curb.

"What an interesting boy," Rosie mused happily.

"Wait a minute, he called you Mr. Lollysomethingorother," Mello said, turning to L.

"Well, that is my last name," said L.

Mello squinted. "But he _knew_ you - someone rich like that!"

"I assure you that Near is not rich. He is an intern at IDM where I was a janitor. He is a kindhearted young man."

"… He's really pale."

"There's not much sun in the office."

-

In thirty minutes, Near was back at the IDM headquarters, met outside by Raito who had been called on Near's cell phone a few minutes prior to arriving. The taxi door opened and Raito helped him with all the bags. Raito did a mental count.

"Are these all of them?" he asked.

"Yes," Near said. "I saw Mr. Lawliet."

"Really? What was going on with him? Did he seem crazy?"

Near thought. "No," he answered finally, "but he was wearing an apron and he has changed his name to Elle. Spelled E-L-L-E."

Ratio frowned as they walked into the elevator. _I knew it. This whole thing's taken a toll on him. He's hemorrhaging money for that store and has left us in the lurch._

There was a small ding when the doors to the elevator opened on the fourth floor. Raito looked down at Near and said, "Okay, Near, I'll let you take this from here. I'm going back to my office."

"Yes, sir," Near hummed and stood firmly as Raito lowered the bags of flowers he had helped carry onto Near. Raito turned in one direction, Near turned to the other. The cubicles on this side of the floor were filled with the dreariness and misery of office-drones, those who had no power within the company and existed only to answer phones and direct irate customers.

Near went along the corridor and placed a bouquet of flowers on each desk. Some were occupied, other employees had gone to the restroom or vending machine, and those who did see Near approach them blinked at the young man.

Mrs. Weatherly put her caller on hold and said, "Near? Wha-"

Near handed her a big bouquet of white roses. She stared at them and lightly fingered the pink ribbon, thinking, and finally blushed at the product of her thoughts. Such a cute little boy had a crush on her? It was almost too adorable. She said, "Oh, Near, this is so thoughtful, I… Near?"

Near was across the walkway, giving another bouquet to a different woman.

Mrs. Weatherly frowned. Honestly, why were young men so fickle nowadays?

At a different desk, Near was handing over some sunflowers to Dennis Webber, a newcomer to the floor, and he looked at them, mildly unsure of what this meant. "Near… well, thank you," he said, considering. "I'm not sure… but I think I may have to file a sexual harassment complaint."

"I am not interested in you, Mr. Webber," said Near, "these are a gift given to everyone on the third and fourth floors from Mr. Lawliet."

"… Lawliet? Well, isn't he on vacation?"

"He is in Hawaii. He sends gifts to those of you stuck in the woeful tedium of office-work."

"… Um. Great."

"Yes."

-

When eight o' clock in the evening rolled around, Rosie's Posies was closed and had been for a few minutes. Rosie locked the door as both her employees and she stood out on the street right in front of the shop and she placed the key in her back pocket.

"Well done, boys," she chirped, turning around to face them. Their faces were illuminated by the streetlights and the lamppost on the street corner. "We really racked up today, didn't we?"

"Yes, it was a triumph," said L, waiting for Mello's opinion on all the money they had made.

Mello shook his head, arms crossed over his chest. "Something weird is going on, Rosie. All this money is being thrown around-"

"But it's _good _money," Rosie told him.

"Who's to say? What if we're being set up?"

L sighed inwardly - even though Mello had said more business would be nice, he only seemed to fall deeper into this growing pit of paranoia when L granted his wish. He just wished this boy would be more direct with what he wanted out of life.

Rosie groaned. "Mello, you're too suspicious!"

"_You're_ too trusting."

She ignored him in favor of L. "You did a great job today, L," she said to him, smiling. "Let's have another good one, all right?" With that, Rosie began to walk around the corner, waving to her two employees over her shoulder.

Mello growled and turned on his heel for the opposite direction. "I'm going home," he stated.

"Goodnight, Mello," L called.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you don't have to wear that apron home, you know," Mello said, eyeing L's attire out of the corner of his vision.

"I know."

Mello frowned and walked away quickly, practically shoving other pedestrians out of his way. _What a weirdo!_ he thought.

L watched him leave and looked up at the large yellow sign that proclaimed the name of the business. _Let's have another good one_, he thought and began off on his own direction home.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _By the way, 'elle' is French for 'she'... so, yeah, if none of you knew that, which you might have. What're your thoughts? Tell me, please!_


	8. Relations

A/N: _Struggling with the sickness. I keep telling myself it won't take long until I'm free of my disease._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Eight.**

-

"-and so I have determined that there's a strong correlation between the two company's profits the last three seasons. I was talking to Adrian from the fifth floor today and he was thinking that a merger with the Oak Group is the only way to compete. It's going to be a disaster if it fails and we really need your support at this time. Of course, you'll hear nothing of it, will you? Really, L, you and your ideas. The place was a mess today because Henry Gregory - you know, from billing? - made a statement about the whole thing to… L? L, are you there?"

"You talk too much, Raito."

"_What_?"

"Now I see why you seldom go on dates; you must be a terrible bore. You haven't even asked me about my own adventures today."

"What adventures? I had to deal with one calamity after another and Near still had to be pacified - that kid goes through paperwork like a cyclone."

"Is he precise?"

"Oh, very… he's a good worker, but looking after him takes time and energy! I always have to find something for him to do or else he'll keep delivering coffee to me. He's like a wind-up toy."

"I'm sure he'll go far in the company."

"Yeah, one day he'll be making runs for the CEO…"

"Very funny."

"So, how was your day at the daisy farm, anyway? Is that Mello happy yet?"

"He actually seemed quite flustered when Near showed up a few days ago. I expected him to be happy with all the money the shop received but he wasn't."

"Well, you've been there three days, L. Pick up the pace."

"Oh, you are full of jokes tonight."

"I know, it must be all the coffee I've been drinking lately. But seriously, when is this vacation of yours over? And did you replace the money I had to give Near for all those flowers?"

"It is pending in your account."

"Good."

"And I am coming back when I see fit. I might make more headway if Mello would engage me in conversation… but when I attempt it myself, he gets upset."

"You probably get on his nerves."

"Yes, this is unfortunate."

-

The next day was Friday and, unlike Mello, L had come into the habit of wearing his apron home and then wearing it in to work the next day. Few people directly stared at him on the street but Mello often made a big deal about how silly he looked. L didn't think much of it, actually reveling in his "normal person" attire.

The bell jingled familiarly when L walked in, a sack of gumdrops in his hand. He was eating one after the other methodically and walked up to stand beside Mello, chewing.

"Good morning, Mello," L said over a mouthful.

"Isn't it a bit early for candy?" Mello asked, leaning his elbows on the countertop.

L shrugged, popping another one in. "Absolutely not," he said, "I usually bring some sort of candy with me on Fridays to help get through the day. Would you care for some?"

Mello pursed his lips at the bag and he peeked inside, seeing all of them the same color - blue. "Where're the other ones?" Mello asked.

"I ate them. I save the blue for last as they are my favorite."

Mello scrunched up his face at the explanation. He stood up straight and eyed L from head to toe as the man continued to eat his blue gumdrops. "You know, you're pretty weird," Mello said pointedly. "Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Occasionally."

"_L_," Rosie sang from the back of the shop. Both men stopped and turned towards the doorway as she poked her head out, grinning and wagging a finger at L. "Could you come back here for a moment?"

"Of course," he said and sat the bag of gumdrops down on the counter without looking at Mello. When he was in the back room, Rosie was over at the counter opposite the door, snipping the stems of roses. L's shoes on the linoleum floor squeaked and she turned around, her cheeks a light pink and full of vivacity.

"Ah, L, there you are! So, I wanted to speak with you," she said, and sat the clippers down on the counter.

L nodded. "Yes," he said. He surely hopped he wouldn't be getting fired so soon for harassing a co-worker. But Rosie didn't seem to have the air of one on the warpath, on the contrary, she was beaming.

"Well," she insisted, "how are you liking it here? What do you think?"

"Oh. Well, I quite like it. Flowers are… calming," he said thoughtfully.

Rosie nodded eagerly, tapping her chin. "Mmhmm, yes! And how do you feel about your co-workers?"

L assumed she was including herself in the plural and he answered readily, "I like you both very much. Mello is very interesting."

"Ah, he is a good kid," Rosie said, calming a bit. "He can be a bit grumpy at times but, like a small crab, his pinches don't hurt too much."

"Yes."

She leaned back against the counter and exhaled heavily. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy you like it here, L, I really am. I just don't know what I would do if you had decided to quit! It's been so long for just the two of us."

"I see, but why haven't you hired anyone before it got so bad?"

"I tried," she stressed, "but no one seems to want to learn about the bounty of nature! That's par for the course, though, in LA. Such a concrete city. I should be in Kansas!"

L sensed that if he didn't leave, he would soon become a shoulder to cry on and didn't much like that idea. He was about to interject when Mello poked his head into the room and said, "We have a customer. She wants six tiger lilies in a bouquet with-"

"Ah, okay, don't worry, Mello, I'll deal with this one," Rosie said, picking the clippers up again. She walked up towards the front and made a shooing motion with her hands at her two employees. "Why don't you two go for lunch now? I've got things here."

Mello blinked. "What, both of us?"

"Sure!"

In the front room leaning on the counter was a young woman waiting for her lilies. Rosie addressed her, trilling, and told her the purchase would only take a moment. L and Mello were more or less forgotten about and they went for the front door and the bell rang overhead.

The day was warm and breezy, the initial heat wave of the summer had passed and the leaves were rustling contentedly. L stood at the door taking in the nice weather before he noticed Mello walking down the street to his left. L shrugged inwardly and followed, soon falling in step with the young man and Mello noticed, raised an irked eyebrow at his company.

"What're you doing?" he asked with a suppressed air of annoyance.

L thought about his blue gumdrops in the shop as he said, "I'm sort of craving sweets. What do you say to joining me for lunch?"

Mello paused in mid-step, catching L's glance out of the corner of his eye. He stopped then and turned to face the man. "I don't have the money for that sort of thing," he stated hotly, "I was just going to eat something at home."

"Ah, I see. No matter; I'll accept the bill."

"What?"

"I said-"

"I heard _you_," Mello raged, frowning at his co-worker as passersby walked around them. "Why would you offer something like that?"

L shrugged. "I would like to eat with you."

"… Why?"

"To get acquainted. We're co-workers, aren't we? We should get to know one another, or at least be friendly. I met many at IDM through a simple cup of coffee."

Mello raised a suspicious eyebrow and wondered why businessmen would want to eat with a janitor, unless he meant other maintenance men. He could feel his stomach growling and, if his memory served him, he did only have rice anyway. And maybe a week-old apple or two. But L was right there, inviting and paying, and so Mello sighed, eyes averted to the semi-cloudy sky and L smiled in satisfaction.

"This way," he said smoothly, turning on the heel of his sneaker. Mello watched the bow tying L's apron strings with apprehension but didn't say anything about them.

-

"This is highly inappropriate."

"Near, _please_-"

"Mr. Lawliet would never be caught doing such a thing."

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Raito's chin sank into the soft flesh of his palms as he stared across his small office at Near. The door had opened so suddenly that Raito hadn't the chance to pull his over shirt back on. The vent in his office seemed to be jammed and the window behind his desk was open, the white curtains blowing gently and Raito was sitting in black dress pants and a white undershirt, his brown hair damp from sweat.

Near was a little pink at the bridge of his nose but otherwise didn't seem too offended and walked into the room with a stack of papers. "Here," he said, setting them on the desk. "I finished, and on my way to the bathroom, Mr. Gregory asked me to deliver these to you."

Raito nodded listlessly and moved the papers around with his index finger. After a second of inspection, an indignant expression crossed his face. "These are meant for L's department!" he exclaimed, looking to Near.

Near shrugged.

"I have nothing to do with the Oak Group and I don't approve of this merger at all," Raito said airily and stacked the papers once again, handing them back to Near.

"What will I do with these?"

"Send them back to Henry. Put them in his mailbox or something. L's on vacation - I'm not his secretary!"

Near ignored this griping. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No, Near."

"There's a new flavor of cream in the kitchen."

"… What is it?"

"Cinnamon bun."

Raito seemed to think it over. "It's too hot outside for cinnamon buns," he concluded, waving some air his way with a folder. "As a matter of fact, it's too hot for coffee. I'm boiling in here."

"I'll put in a work-order," Near said.

Raito rolled his eyes. "Don't bother. Just relay my message to Henry… this whole thing is getting out of hand. Oh… wait," Raito hummed, picking up his phone and dialing. The ringing was on speaker and Near perked up a bit when L's voice came through.

"Raito, you're imposing upon my lunch hour."

"What's that?" Raito frowned sharply. "Why do you get an hour for lunch? All you do is sell weeds…"

"I'm not above hanging up on you."

"Nor am I above losing my temper with you, L."

"Good afternoon, L," Near interjected, on which he received an irate glare from his superior.

"Ah, Near, good afternoon. Is Mr. Yagami working you like a dog?"

"Yes, sir."

"_L_," Raito stressed. "Listen to me!"

"Why do you harass me? I'm on vacation."

"It's because your work is piling up at my door. I'm not saying you have to quit the daisy shop. But at least come here on weekends to get this mess straightened out! Gregory is trying to get me to put my name on these documents, backing up the Oak Group's numbers and I can't-"

"Pardon me…" There was a pause. Then, after a moment, "I will have to get back to you, Raito."

"Huh?"

"I'm having lunch with Mello."

"My, how special," Raito spat.

"Jealousy is such an ugly thing."

"_What's that_?"

Click.

There was silence and Near sighed, turning for the door. "_I _don't believe it's too hot for cinnamon bun," he huffed as the door closed.

-

Mello glanced over at L as he closed his cell phone and stuck it back into his pocket. He had heard his name mentioned and probably would have been wondering who L could have been talking to if they had not just strolled into _Marble Slab Creamery_. L breathed in deeply and seemed to have noticed Mello's eye on his cell phone.

"A friend of mine," he said. "He's needy and likes attention. What would you like?"

Mello sulked, having been expecting real food. "I thought you said we were going to get lunch."

"And here we are."

"Ice cream isn't food!"

"So… I'm assuming it's grass?"

Mello groaned aloud and ignored L, figuring that ice cream was better than nothing. He told L he wanted chocolate and went to sit down in a booth by the window. There were others dispersed at tables around him and, directly behind him were a group of three young, pimply-looking girls in sweatshirts chowing down on hot fudge sundaes. L came over in a few minutes with Mello's order and Mello frowned at the gummy bears in the chocolate. He didn't remember requesting such things.

Looking across the table, L's ice cream was rather stupendous, with its strawberries and bits of birthday cake crumbled in. And sprinkles on top of that. L raised his eyes from his treat to look up at Mello and then, behind him.

"Ah, good," he said, "this is a good seat to eavesdrop on those husky women."

Mello gaped, eyebrows raised. "What're you saying?" he asked, sanding a glance back to see if they had heard.

"It's something I like to do - hearing interesting conversation from interesting people."

"Uh," Mello paused and listened in, leaning backwards inconspicuously. He had no idea what he was expecting to hear - or what _L_ was expecting to hear for that matter - but the only conversation was that of their yogurt and their lack of dates. Mello sighed raggedly and shook his head at his coworker. "There's nothing interesting about them," he said vehemently.

L nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Then I should listen to what you have to say."

Mello blinked. "What's that mean?"

"Nothing really… but I'm interested in you."

At the moment, Mello wasn't sure if he should be offended or not but he felt like he should be. He ignored L's statement in favor of his ice cream. He mumbled something along the lines of, "I'm not interesting either…"

L smirked, his spoon hanging from between his lips. "How did you end up meeting Rosie? She is a very… cheerful person. But somehow you don't seem like the kind to work at a flower shop."

"Economy's shit; guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do," Mello grumbled.

"I suppose so," L hummed good-naturedly.

"Rosie was hiring at the time and all the shifts at Taco Bell were filled so I told her I'd do it." Mello shrugged and scooted the gummy bears out of the way. He sent a wry glance L's way and said, "I almost regret it now…"

"Oh? Why's that?"

Mello frowned deeply. "You," he said pointedly.

"Ah, so we've finally arrived at the heart of the matter. Mello, you dislike me, of that I'm aware, but I'd like to inquire as to-"

"_That_! That, right there," Mello stressed, pointing his tiny spoon at the man accusingly. "What janitor talks like that? You sound like you went to Harvard, not a… a janitor school - shut the fuck up, I know there's no such thing as a janitor's school!"

L blinked, lowering his previously raised finger.

Mello exhaled slowly and looked aside. "And anyways… why do you sit like that?"

L looked down at himself, his crouching position in the plastic-covered seat. Other patrons had been giving him sideways glances since he sat but, being so used to it, he hardly noticed and shrugged. "I have scoliosis. This sitting position makes it more bearable."

"… Ever think you have scoliosis because you sit like that?"

"There's an idea."

"…"

"Anyway, how's your ice cream?"

"… Cold."

"Is there any way we can dissolve your hate for me?"

Mello shook his head, agitated. "It's not hate. You're just… freakish."

"Ah. Don't worry about offending me, by the way."

"I'm not."

L cleared his throat, wiped off his hand on his apron and held it across the table to Mello. He said, "Let us start again. And in doing so, I will attempt to be less of a freak."

Mello eyed the hand shrewdly. "And what do I have to do?"

"Be friendly," L replied with some ghost of earnestness in his tone.

"… Friendly. S'yeah," Mello said with a roll of the eyes and he lifted his hand to L's. He didn't see the point in trying to start over again. But it might get him more free meals in the future - maybe something more than ice cream, if he played his cards right.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thanks for flying Air Sweetness, don't forget to leave a review for our pilot on the way out. -dies-_


	9. Bandit

A/N: _Slightly coming out of my writer's block. Hope you enjoy._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Nine.**

-

Next Friday night the streets were lit up in fiery luminescence and the burning speed of L's Mercedes tires on the pavement. The streetlights were flashing green and yellow around him as he cruised down the ten blocks he had to travel. The sound of his own music was drowning out the beats of others - a group of young teens at the last light who insisted that everyone must suffer their music and another young woman he just passed who had Jesse McCartney cranked up to brain-bleed.

He tapped the steering wheel lightly with his index fingers as he sat just outside the Cool Springs apartment building. The front door was held open by their weekend doorman and Raito came strolling out, the wind lightly blowing at his tawny bangs and his coat tossed over his shoulder. He didn't give the black Mercedes waiting for him a glance until he came right upon it and opened the door, sliding into the passenger's seat.

"Nice of you to finally show up," Raito huffed, securing his seatbelt. He still hadn't made eye-contact with L.

L raised an eyebrow as he turned off the curb and back into traffic. "What do you mean? I'm two minutes early."

"I haven't seen you in more than a week," Raito said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, is that what it is?"

They slowed at the light as it reddened.

"Yes, that _is_ what it is."

L sat back, faking a fatigued sigh. "I can only give so much attention to both you and Mello. Do not be so short-tempered, after all, he is the one with the dead friend, a hole in his life. I am simply trying to fill that hole with foodstuffs."

Raito shot a glare at L. "What about _my_ hole, huh?"

"Do you have to be so obscene?"

"You've forgotten all about me! It's Mello this and Mello that and Mello has a healthy appetite this and Mello is a feisty kitten that. It's disgusting. Honestly, L, a man your age should have more constraint! What would our CEO say if he saw this? A valued member of our team running about town with a young boy? Masquerading as a flower vender? And for what? Road-kill? Our company has been under siege since your departure and here you are prancing like a pony with some blond firecracker! W-Why, this is no different than prostitution! You give this boy free meals and what do you get in return? To see him in that leather outfit? It's because he's young, isn't it? Oh, that twenty-two year old body, you think to yourself! How you must miss university days! People running around scantily clad! There's a name for people like you, L. You've become a sugar daddy! That's right, I said it. And the company is paying for these late-night ventures of yours! Paid vacation my foot! You need to get yourself back where you belong! What about when the checks stop coming, L? Have you thought about that? I think-"

"Ah, here we are."

Raito blinked, his finger in mid-wag, and looked up to find them on the curb of a restaurant. The valet, dressed in a red vest and black slacks came up to the door and opened it with a flourish for Raito and the brunet sighed and stepped out. The sidewalk was paved with people and the lights from the outside of DiMaggio's were making rose-shaped circles of light on the sidewalk.

L came around the car and walked along side Raito, scratching the back of his head. "You sure are riled up, tonight, Raito," he said. "You're much like a firecracker yourself. I have not forgotten about you, I've only been busy."

"Busy, right. L, I'm worried about you," Raito said finally after the hostess showed them to their table. It was in the back of the restaurant by a row of large windows and the light was a soft glow. When the waitress went away to fetch the wine, Raito eyed his business partner's sitting position idly, used to it as he was and sighed. "You're spending all this money…"

L shook his head appreciatively. "You should be my accountant, Raito, so concerned as you are. But in all honesty, I'm not spending that much at all anymore."

"You said your new plan was to lavish him with meals and fancy dinners," Raito said, waving his hand. "Young men eat a lot and quite often."

"Yes but mostly, he enjoys things like Taco Bell and Burger King."

"Ugh," Raito groaned, turning his nose up.

"Oh, you frown now but this is from someone who used to enjoy such greasiness as Slim Jims."

"Yes, well… I gave those up for my health's sake."

"You mean for your thighs' sake."

"_L_."

L ignored this scolding and was thankful when the wine came. He sipped and glanced at Raito's nonchalant gulping. He finally put the glass down and sighed, "It's so good to have something other than coffee…"

"Oh, I see. Is the coffee the cause of your earlier sermon?"

"Probably."

"I should instruct Near to interpose decaf," L said thoughtfully. "Maybe some tea. And how is he anyway?"

"I'm under the extreme impression he aspires to be like you," Raito said distractedly, pouring himself another glass.

L blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"He talks about you… well, when he's not in the kitchen fetching unwanted drinks or typing loudly outside my door. He asks how you are fairing with Mello and when and if you're coming back."

"That's nice."

"Oh, and he's gotten really good at that staring-thing you like to do."

L looked at Raito questioningly.

"Yeah, that," Raito said.

"Why does he stare at you?" L asked.

"Waiting for instructions, I guess. I've learned to ignore him though. Eventually, he'll stop it and go away and when he comes back I'll have another cup of coffee on my desk."

-

Near River was not much of a gossiper by nature. As a matter of fact, he had minimal interest in what others in the office were going on about and _especially_ if it wasn't business-related. As he passed people in the hallway and they leant up against the wall and talked about which celebrity lost their virginity for the fifth time or what CEO of a neighboring company was scandalized, he felt high above them even from his five foot stature.

He was not here for sophomoric hearsay but work and work alone. As he walked through the hallways and into the kitchen, he thought of Mr. Lawliet and how he had been so faithfully efficient at his job when he was around. But with him gone, lately, Near was feeling that IDM was all but going to hell. The merger with the Oak Group - a completely unstable ally as far as Near was concerned - was happening at a break-neck pace and there was little that was being done to stop it. The employees were lethargic and the CEO seemed to feel that his hands were tied. Near believed firmly that only Mr. Lawliet could right this wrong but since he was currently saving the day in a flower shop and Mr. Yagami was knee-deep in jealousy, it would be up to Near.

It was early Monday afternoon when he was making his fourth run to the kitchen and thinking of how he could get IDM out of this horrible position it was being forced into. The hallways were alive with co-workers who had wandered away from their desks. Once in the kitchen, Near walked past Mrs. Weatherly over to the coffee machine. She smiled at his arrival and said over her Dixie cup, "Hello, Near, how are you today?"

"Oh," he hummed, looking at the different creamers, "I'm good."

She waited for a 'And yourself?' but never received one and sighed impatiently, tapping on the side of her cup. "What are you up to?" she asked.

"Coffee is needed," he said.

"… Is it really?"

He looked over his shoulder at her, freezing her idle movements with an icy stare. She blinked and stumbled over some forced laughter as he turned back to his coffee machine.

"So," she drawled, eyes rolling up towards the speckled ceiling, "how's your internship going? I heard Mr. Yagami's been showing you the ropes."

"I have not seen ropes. But I am learning more and more everyday."

More silence. Mrs. Weatherly had not thought that everyday conversation would be so hard. Was she really so detached from the younger generation? Her gaze fell on the refrigerator over in the corner, its gentle hum the only sound in the room. She perked up a little and said, "Oh, Near, did you hear about the Lunchbox Bandit?"

"Pardon?" he mumbled, fidgeting with the coffee filters.

"The Lunchbox Bandit has been sneaking around the past week and has been stealing food from the refrigerator. Andy got his special brownies stolen that his wife made him. And Jeffrey's iced tea was all gone, too. We're not sure if it's anyone on this floor or not but…" Mrs. Weatherly blinked when Near stopped with the coffee machine and turned around, sending her an odd look.

"Stealing food?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"But…" Near blinked and crossed the tiled floor to the fridge, remembering that he often put things like fruit and other food in there for snacks and lunches. He opened the door and the shelves were stacked and he searched their contents but did not find his sandwich he had placed in there that morning.

"Near? Did you get hit by the Bandit?"

There was silence, more rummaging, and finally Near emerged with a sandwich in a Ziploc bag. He looked down at it, blinked, and Mrs. Weatherly came over to see. There was a large bite taken out of it.

"H-He put it back," she said, surprised.

"He must not like turkey," Near said, a little put off.

When Near made his way back to Raito's office, he held a cup of coffee in one hand and his decimated sandwich in another. He knocked on the door with the toe of his shoe and Raito called for him to come in from the other side.

Raito looked up at Near's entrance, his head propped up by one hand. "Hey, Near, did you get those files out to the fifth floor?"

"I did but I must show you something," he said and plopped the Ziploc bag down on the desk. Raito looked down at it and wrinkled his nose.

"What's this?"

"The sanctity of my lunch has been violated," Near said in what was probably an indignant tone. "I would like to know what you plan to do about this."

"… Oh, is this that Lunchbox Bandit I've been hearing so much about?"

"Yes."

"Well… he didn't _steal_ it."

"It is contaminated."

Raito raised an eyebrow at Near but on this he seemed immovable. Raito had to admit, privately of course, that this whole thing was pretty disgusting. He sighed and looked at his watch briefly.

"It's after lunchtime and I'm getting pretty hungry as well. Would you like to go out to eat?"

Near blinked. "It is not hand-outs I am after; I desire justice for this wrong-doing."

"It's a sandwich!" Raito protested.

"It is my sandwich. I am deeply malcontented."

Raito folded his arms across his chest. "You can either be malcontented here or come with me and be malcontented and full. Choose."

Near huffed and set the coffee cup down. "Fine."

-

Across town out front of a flower shop was a young blond who swept contentedly along the sidewalk. The light breeze that assisted him in blowing candy wrappers and flyers from the front of the store helped and Mello felt slightly content. It wasn't often within the past week that he had gotten much alone time - time like this that he used to use for thinking. L had been around him, at work and at lunch and at dinner and they even went out to breakfast a few times. Mello almost licked his lips just thinking about all the food he had eaten and without paying a single dime.

Because of that and his now minimal food bill, he could spend the money on more needful things like the rent he'd been backed up on since Matt's death. Matt never had any real income save for the unemployment checks he sometimes got and that helped a little but really, Mello had been paying most of the amenities on his own. When Matt and Mello moved out together, the day they were taking Matt's clothes from his house, Mello remembered Matt's mother charging him with the welfare of her son. Maybe that was why she hadn't said anything to him at the funeral - he'd failed in his job.

As unfair a job as it was. He got no pay from looking after the brat and no thanks either. Either way he looked at it, Matt was a nuisance and, for that matter, so was L. But L gave him free food while Matt had given him headaches.

While Mello thought quietly to himself, sweeping in a circular motion, he neglected to notice the middle-aged homeless man who went shuffling into the shop behind him. The bell rang and L, who had been manning the counter, looked up expectantly.

"Hello, sir, how may I be of service?" he asked as the man approached the counter.

The man seemed rather out of place - his multiple jackets torn and his stench like that of an unflushed toilet. There was a sign on the door that read, 'No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service,' but the man had a shirt and badly-worn shoes so L didn't see a problem.

"Uhh… I, uh, you see," he mumbled, "today's my mom's birthday and I, uh, I, uh, wanted to, uh, give her some flowers…"

L nodded. "Well, have you considered what kind?"

"Uh, no…"

"There are many different-"

"Good gravy! L, what's that horrible odor?" Rosie called, poking her head in from the back room. Her eyes widened upon seeing the same homeless man that had set up camp in front of the shop almost two week prior. She gasped and shouted, "Mello! Mello!"

L blinked, startled. "Rosie? What's-"

"What's going on in here?" Mello asked, eyeing the place as the bell rang over his head. He caught sight of the hobo immediately and raised his broom to beat the man out of the store.

L raised an eyebrow and came around the counter to stop the crazed blond. "Mello, what are you doing? This is a customer."

"No, it's not! It's a hobo! God, L, what kind of customers are you used to?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to buy, uh-"

"He wishes to make a purchase," said L, standing between the two men.

Mello lowered the broom suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes at the fumbling hobo. "You have money?"

"Uhhh…"

"See, I knew it!"

"I, uh, I can trade…"

Mello frowned deeply. "We're not an Arabian bazaar, we're a flower shop! We don't accept trades!"

"Now wait a minute, Mello," Rosie said, finally coming out of hiding behind the threshold. She held up her pointer finger. "Let's see what he's got."

"I concur," L said and nodded.

"_What_?" Mello moaned.

The man hobbled up to the counter and Rosie took over as proprietor, telling Mello to go pout elsewhere and he took that as his signal for a lunch break. He said, "C'mon, L, let's get outta here!" and L gladly took the invitation, well aware that he was invited for the honor of paying the bill.

When they were outside, Mello, the only one without apron, stretched his arms over his head. "Can we please go somewhere that doesn't give me a brain freeze this time?" he yawned.

L smiled lightly. "Well, it's your choice."

"Great, then we're going to Sbarro. Man, I kinda feel bad about leaving Rosie in there with that guy. He could pull one over on her, you know, trade her some magical beans for five bouquets."

"I doubt that she is that naïve."

Mello rolled his eyes towards the sky as they turned the corner. "Really? Well, maybe, but he's still some bum. What if he tries to take advantage of her?"

"If you were so worried, why did you leave her?"

"I'm _hungry_."

"I see," L hummed and as they neared their destination, he noticed two people on the other side of the street. L squinted and recognized the brunet and the little white-haired intern almost immediately. He checked to see if Mello had seen and was about to redirect Mello to another restaurant but then Near turned to see L and waved. L blanched and Mello looked over at the young boy.

"Hey, L, isn't that the little kid who bought all those flowers? He's waving."

"Yes, but we must go-"

"Hey, wait a minute! I know that guy!" Mello straightened his posture and Raito turned around to see who Near was waving to. His eyes widened and Mello shouted across the road, "Hey! You! Stalker!"

"Mello," L said, attempting to calm the blond but he went unheard.

On the other side of the street, Raito grabbed Near by the wrist like a mother dragging her child out of Disney Land and headed away from the restaurant. Mello seemed not able to let it go and was about to jump off the curb after them when L stuck out his foot and Mello fell flat on his face in the street.

L looked up and Raito and Near were gone. Mello began to recover from his fall.

"L, what the fucking hell was that?" he shouted, blue eyes blazing as he stood and brushed himself off. He looked across the street to find his supposed stalker, the man who had given him so much money, gone. "Fuck, he's gone!"

"I'm sorry, Mello, my foot slipped."

Mello narrowed his gaze. "I don't believe that!"

"Why were you so riled?"

"That _man_! Listen, I never told you this, but I have a stalker," Mello said confidently.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. That guy there was the one who gave me a two hundred dollar tip for selling him a flower. And then, I got this anonymous donation at a clothing store. He bought me some expensive-ass leather! I also think he's the one who sent me a huge bouquet of sunflowers… So, you see, he's a giant freak who's in love with me. Maybe even a bigger freak than you, L."

"That _is_ interesting."

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm not," L said, placing a hand on Mello's shoulder in sympathy.

Mello shrugged the hand off. "Well, I'm going to find that guy and pop him a good one." He watched the opposing sidewalk for any sight of him but there was none. "But… what was he doing with that little pipsqueak from your old work?"

"I haven't the slightest. Perhaps your stalker has lost interest in you in favor of Near."

"Ha! I'm _way_ better looking than that guy."

L had to stifle a laugh.

-

About thirty minutes later, after L had persuaded Mello to go inside and eat pizza, they returned to the flower shop to find the homeless man gone and Rosie sitting at the counter with a small bag of gold coins.

Mello blinked widely. "Aw, shit! Rosie, what'd you do?"

She grinned and held the bag aloft. At closer inspection, they were not gold coins but chocolate coins wrapped in golden aluminum. "Look, boys! Sweets! That poor hobo only had this on him and it was for a good cause so I traded."

L came over to help her eat them. "Very wise," he said, mouth full.

"Don't encourage her!" Mello protested.

"Here, Mello, there's one with your name on it," Rosie teased, holding one up for him. Mello grabbed it and ate it broodingly and thought, _The sort of people I surround myself with… _

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thanks for your patience. Final exams are this week but I'll still be working on this and you know how my summers are. Its all for you guys. Please review!_


	10. Imbroglio

A/N: _Thank you all for your kind reviews. School's out for summer, people, and I'm on the move. _

**-**

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Ten.**

-

"It's pretty perverted. But it's not like I can control my dreams anyway, right?"

"Right."

"So, it's no big deal. … Is it?"

"It is not."

"He's just a freak is what he is! God, this just pisses me off!"

"If he gave you so many gifts, wouldn't that say that he cares a great deal about you?"

Mello balled his fist as he turned away from the window to look at L, sitting in his odd position in the only chair in the apartment that wasn't broken. L, as raggedy as he looked most of the time, still seemed quite out of place in Mello's broken down hole in the wall. It had taken Mello a great deal of coaxing to get him to bring L up - the strange sort of shyness he harbored intensified when he realized there were dead sunflowers everywhere.

The invitation up was only due to the fact that L suggested he take Mello out to a proper restaurant that evening. L hadn't donned anything more spectacular than what he usually wore but Mello, not having worn his new leather outfit anywhere yet, was debating it. Somehow, someway, they had started again on the subject of his far off stalker and Mello revealed to L his recurring daydream that the man would demand some sort of pleasurable payment for all his charity.

"He doesn't care about me, L," Mello insisted, "he's just after something sick. I hate him. Nothing in this world is free, there's _always _a price!"

L tilted his head; said quietly, "Some things are free."

"Well, not this," Mello said, walking over to the table where he had laid out the leather vest and the pants. He took them in his arms, loving the feeling of the smooth material against his skin, and looked at them intensely. _Why can't some things be free? _he thought.

"Do you want to give all the gifts back?"

Mello raised an eyebrow and finally sighed. "I spent all the money… and besides that, this outfit looks… amazing. It's just the cost may be too much."

"I see."

"No… you don't." Mello turned his back to the man and went for the bathroom in the back of the apartment. "I sort of envy you, L. Nobody's going to stalk you," he said as the door closed.

L wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. When he was sure Mello had locked the door behind him, he whipped out his cell phone and speed-dialed Raito. It rang only half a time and Raito answered frantically, "L! I've been trying to contact you all day!"

"I've been at work, Raito-"

"Yeah, whatever. Did you see what happened this afternoon? That street urchin might have killed me if you hadn't tripped him. He called me a stalker!"

"Well, that's because to him you are. He thinks you are the one bestowing gifts upon him."

"I hope you set him straight on that one then…"

"I'll do no such thing."

"Why?"

"He thinks you are a freak. I am barely out of freak status; why would I want to switch places with you?"

"You're impossible! Tell that boy who you are!"

"No."

"Ugh!"

"Just stay out of sight. What was Near doing with you out there anyway?"

"Oh hell. It's a long story. In short, someone at work bit into Near's sandwich and I offered to take him out to lunch."

"… Well, I'm glad you two are getting along. I must go now, I'm taking Mello to DiMaggio's."

"_What_? But that's where _we _go!"

"Do not show up with Near. Goodbye."

He flipped his phone closed on Raito's cries of protest and the door to the bathroom was opened. L put the phone in his jean pocket nonchalantly and looked up in time to see Mello come out into the living room, his body wrapped tightly in leather. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at L. "Well? How's it look?"

"Very nice," L said, his thumbnail in his mouth and his eyes studying the silver studs stretched across Mello's hips.

Mello nodded as if that was obvious and, after giving himself another once-over, he sighed. He didn't notice L's eyes still on him and said, "Uh, L… thanks, by the way. I guess."

L blinked. "What?"

"I said thanks. For, like, taking me out to eat all the time. It's made it easier on my other bills and stuff… not worrying about food. But, um, I understand if you can't do it for a lot longer."

L seemed to be taken aback by this sudden show of appreciation and stared at Mello for a second. Mello frowned at all the attention and turned towards the door, saying gruffly, "Well, aren't we going? I'm hungry!"

"Yes, of course." L got up from his seat and followed Mello out of the apartment and down the flight of stairs. It was dark on the street and the streetlights and lamps were lighting up the way to L's car parked in front of the apartment.

The Mercedes' black sheen was lit up under the lights of a bypassing car and as L walked around to the other side, Mello was still standing on the curb. L looked over at him and called, "Is something the matter?"

"No fucking way!" Mello shouted, pointing at the car like a trained hound dog. "This is your car?"

"Indeed."

"Fucking hell, where did you get the money for this? You _cannot_ afford this on a janitor's salary!"

"I inherited it from my dead parents. They bought it the week before their death, you see."

Mello blinked and scratched at the back of his head. "Um…"

L smirked a little. "Get in."

-

Raito sat on his bed in a huff, his arms crossed over his chest and his papers and laptop surrounding him, forgotten about for the past few moments. His cell phone lay to his side, untouched since L's call and Raito fumed and mulled over the thought of calling that insensitive jerk back. This entire façade was getting out of hand - it was one thing to buy Mello flowers, another to spend mountains of money on clothes and food but now taking that unwashed barnacle to DiMaggio's was quite another.

"That's it," Raito grumbled to himself, snatching his phone from where it lay nestled in his bedcovers and before he was able to flip it open, it began to ring. Raito blinked and opened it, greeting the caller with, "So, you've come crawling back, have you?"

"… Pardon?"

"… Shit. Near, what are you doing calling my cell phone number? How did you even get this number in the first place?" Raito asked, his eyes rolling towards the speckled ceiling as Near began to explain in his monotone voice.

"I looked you up in the work directory," he said calmly.

"Well what is it you want? I'm very busy."

"I would like to come over."

Raito blinked. "What?"

"Please allow me to come over. There is something I would like to discuss with you about the merger between our company and the Oak Group. I have been working on this proposal for days-"

"Let me stop you right there. First off, interns aren't supposed to think about this kind of thing; that's what L and I were hired for."

"Mr. Lawliet is entangled in a late-night affair and you yourself are mourning his loss. This is less than productive."

"I am not _mourning_-" Raito stopped his budding rage and looked out of his open bedroom door. There was a knocking at his front door and he sighed, looking at his watch and wondering who it could be at this hour. He said, "Hold on, Near, there's someone here. Honestly, the world is bringing me problems. First L, then you, now - Aw, hell!" He opened the door only to be greeted by Near standing in the hallway with a stack of papers in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other and his cell phone held between his shoulder and ear.

"Hello," he said, struggling with his items.

"What are you doing here? This is completely inappropriate, compromising our professional relationship with late-night visits!"

"You mean like you and Mr. Lawliet always do?" Near asked, casually inviting himself in. Raito frowned heavily as Near set down his papers on the coffee table by one of Raito's over-priced couches. Near turned around and held out the coffee cup with a _Starbucks _print on it. "Here," he said, "a non-fat latte with orange extract."

Raito paused before taking it. _He knows what I like at least…_ After taking a sip, he sighed and said, "Okay, Near, what do you want? But make it quick, I was working before you barged in on me."

"This won't take long," he said, sitting on the couch. He stared at Raito and patted the seat next to him.

Raito sat obediently and concentrated more on his drink than Near showing him his research on the Oak Group's past seasons and their fluctuating wealth. Near seemed to notice this and said, with some irritation, "Couldn't you at least hear me out? I came all this way."

"Nobody _invited_ you," Raito responded, continuing to sip.

"In all actuality, I would have preferred it if Mr. Lawliet would be here too. At least he would be interested in saving the company's good name."

"Ha!" Raito scoffed, lowering his drink for the first time since Near began talking. "Good luck finding him around here anymore! He's gone off with his boyfriend for the night."

Near blushed faintly. "Boyfriend?"

"That's right! Spread it around the office, Near; L's abandoned us for a cheap blond in tight leather."

"Oh my."

"Oh my is right. He's got some nerve, leaving us in the lurch like this."

"Well, we wouldn't be in such a lurch if you'd help me. I need to speak with the CEO about my ideas, perhaps you could be of some use." Near looked back down at the paper he held in his hands; the graphs he had spent so much time thinking of in between runs for coffee. "Boyfriend or not, if Mr. Lawliet was here, I know he'd be interested in this," he said softly.

Raito groaned and looked at his watch again. "It's almost nine. I'll never be able to work now…" He stood up and put the empty Styrofoam cup down on a table. "Let's go drinking, Near."

"… Drinking? Did you not hear _anything_ I just said?"

"No. You can try again over drinks. Let's go."

Near sighed.

-

The décor and ambiance of DiMaggio's was not what Mello expected at all. He figured that what L meant by 'proper restaurant' was something like Olive Garden. He never imagined the roses of light on the pavement leading up to the doors or smell of gentle lilac in the air or just-sunset lighting of candles at every table. The conversations all over the dining room were as soft as the candlelight.

_Jesus fucking Christ, what kind of posh place is this? I bet this is the kind of place that doesn't have prices on their menus! Holy shit. _Mello snuck a glance at L as the two of them followed their waitress to a table in the back. The other patrons tried to be slick about it, but they gawked at Mello's attire, the scar on his face and his unwashed blond hair. When they were seated next to an open window that looked out onto a small garden of lilies, Mello grabbed his menu and opened it up - sure enough, there were no prices.

"Fuck, L, can you afford this place?" Mello asked, unaware that a table of elderly women were a few feet away and appalled at his language.

"Of course," L said.

Mello scrunched up his face and set the menu down. When L still perused his own, Mello growled lowly and took it away from him, forcing L to face him. "All right, now you listen here. I know you weren't a janitor before so let's just cut through the old shit-cake."

L blinked mildly and then nodded. "Fine, have it your way. I was president of mergers and acquisitions at IDM before I came to work for Rosie."

Mello gaped widely and the waitress came over with a bottle of red wine that L had ordered. She poured them each a glass and left the bottle and was walking away when Mello finally managed to say, "What the _fuck_, L? _Why _would you lie to me like that? Janitor and president of fucktards aren't even _close_ to one another!"

L raised an eyebrow as the women behind Mello got up and left, huffing to themselves about the wholesome days of yesteryear. "Mello," L said, returning his attention to the ruffled blond, "don't be so upset. I just didn't think it would make much sense to you if I came from a better paying job."

"It doesn't!"

"Well, I needed some time off. It was a high-pressure job. I saw Rosie's hiring sign and thought it would be a welcome vacation from IDM."

Mello frowned, unsatisfied. "Something still doesn't seem right…"

"Have you decided what you want to eat?" L asked, eyeing his menu once again in an attempt to change the subject.

Mello sighed. "I don't know what half this stuff _is_… I've never been to a place like this. Wine and stuff," Mello said, looking at the liquid inside the glass, the coruscating glass under the candlelight, "Me and Matt never even passed places like this…"

"Matt," L echoed without giving it a thought. "Who is he?"

Mello looked over at the dark-haired man and reddened slightly, turning his attention towards the window. "Nobody. Forget it. An old roommate."

"I see," L said and closed his menu. "Why aren't you two living together anymore?"

"He di-" Mello's voice cracked and he suddenly felt some kind of shame, something akin to the funeral when he looked at Matt's crying mother and found no words of solace. There was a lump in his throat and he swallowed it down bitterly, washed it away with a swig of wine, and continued, "He died. He's dead."

L watched him for a second, the spots of pink blossoming around Mello's cheeks and nodded, placed his hand over Mello's hand deftly. "My sincere apologies," he whispered and looked at Mello. He found himself hoping that, through their shared gaze, Mello would find everything out, more than his past job or who he was or who had really sent him the flowers that lay dead on his floors. Then, before a full moment passed, Mello took his hand away from L's, and L's small twinge of masochistic dourness slipped away.

The waitress came again and took their orders.

When she was gone again, the two of them were left with each other and the strange air between them. It was different than those times when L had just said something peculiar and off-the-mark and Mello thought him to be a freak. This time, he had actually said something human and Mello couldn't bring himself to look at the man again, slightly afraid that he might indeed turn to him and see a human. Not just a freak sitting in a fetal position.

"If you'd care to talk about it," L said softly, but stopped there, unsure of what to say next.

Mello shook his head and continued to look out of the window, his head propped up on one open palm. After another moment of silence, he spared L half a glance and said, shrugging, "It's okay." It had taken a while to be sure of his voice, L thought. "He was stupid. He got himself killed, walking out in traffic. Just asked for it. I knew that was going to happen someday, he was always doing shit like that."

Mello paused again, swallowed, and returned his gaze towards the window. "But I still sort of miss him. Even though the apartment is too small for two people, now it just seems too big. He was… well, if you want to call it that… my best friend. We did a lot together, like you and your friend who's always calling you."

L cracked a small smile. "The needy one?"

"Right. Matt was needy. Not attention-needy, but person-needy. He needed to be around me. Needed me to like him. Pretty pathetic, I guess."

"I don't think so."

Mello quaffed half his glass of wine in one swift motion. It gave him courage to look L in the eye and he did. "Don't think you have to be all nice to me because I told you my friend died."

"I'm not being nice. I'll kick you if you want."

Mello narrowed an eye at L and downed the rest of his glass. It gave him courage to grin. "I guess I was getting a little lonely after he died. But then you left your stupid big-wig job and came to bother me. But you're weird… well, _this_ is weird. You're alright."

"And what is 'this'?" L asked casually while refilling Mello's glass.

"I don't know. Us going out all the time. Like I said, it's made things easy on my other bills…" Mello took another drink. "But it's like we're fucking dating. It's weird. If I wasn't so quick to accept all those other gifts, I wouldn't have a stalker now. So… we should just work together. You can't buy me anything more."

"I understand," L said, taking a small sip.

"Good."

Their food came soon after that and sometime during the meal, L looked up at Mello as he scarfed down the food like it was the last thing he would ever have. L said, "Mello, I'm…"

"What?" he asked, barely paying L any attention.

That lump again in L's throat - a hurdle to get over if he were ever going to tell Mello the truth, do what Raito said, what he knew would probably be for the best - and L let it stay there. He shook his head and smirked a little at the sauce on Mello's chin. He said, "It's no burden to take you out. On the contrary, I find it enjoyable."

Mello rolled his eyes and they continued on. By the time they were leaving, L had had one glass of wine while Mello had finished off the rest of the bottle. L helped Mello out to the car and the valet opened the door for them. When Mello was safe in the passenger's side, he was spouting absolute nonsense that would probably not even make sense to himself if he were sober. But L found it to be slightly cute and ignored him for most of the way home until they were one block away from Mello's apartment building and Mello turned to L, his blue eyes fervent under the changing streetlights.

He said, "Sorry, L. I guess I am pretty lonely."

L kept his focus on driving until he parked in front of the building and when he turned to address what Mello had said, the blond was snoozing. L sighed.

-

The next day, an average Wednesday for IDM, was not so average for Near. The small intern was walking around in a sickly manner, slightly agitated at all the bright florescent lights overhead. His stomach was shaky and the memories of the previous night at that posh bar with Raito were shaky in themselves. All he could clearly remember was the warmth of the scotch down his throat and the warm chocolate of Raito's eyes as he looked deep into his drinks.

Raito had really been putting them away and Near only remembered having one and a half drinks but when he walked into the brunet's office that morning, Raito was bright and sarcastic as ever. Near had deep rings under his eyes and as he placed the cup of coffee on Raito's desk along with a memo of that day's meetings, Raito grinned at him over the top of the monitor.

"Hey there, Near," he greeted smoothly, all teeth and bright eyes. "You sure seemed to have enjoyed yourself last night."

Near frowned, ignoring Raito's light teasing. "How can you not be in bed right now? You had six times the liquor I had."

"I'm used to it," he replied, one eyebrow raised. When Near steadied himself against the desk, Raito sighed and inspected him further. "Near, are you all right? You know, if your hangover is so bad, you should probably go back to bed."

"I am fine."

"Uh huh."

"I will be drinking coffee in the kitchen if you need me," Near murmured, turning in a semi-circle to find the door and exit. When it was closed, Raito broke out into a fit of laughter, forced to hold onto the desk for support as Near had. He never thought he would see the day that Near would loose his vapid expression so completely like he had in the bar and then again by cause of a hangover.

Raito's laughter died down as he recalled the airy smile Near wore after his first sips of scotch. The way he twirled a lock of hair around his finger as the conversation turned from imaginary things like saving IDM to real things - real things that were _L_. And Near called him _L _for once, not _Mr. Lawliet_, shaking himself loose of professional constraints. Near divulged things to Raito that would probably be best forgotten lest Near be burdened by their remembrance for the rest of his life at IDM. Things that Raito would never forget and would tell L at his earliest opportunity.

"_He's wonderful-"_

Raito swiveled around towards the window behind the desk and grinned to himself, surveying his view of the city.

"_Just everything about him. His eyes-"_

"Ah, the truth would out sooner or later," Raito mused to himself.

"_His lips."_

"What truth?"

Raito gasped and nearly fell from his chair when he saw L walk around the side of his desk. "Christ, L, is your aim to send me to an early grave?" he demanded as he stood, dusting his suit off. His hair was slightly askew and L smirked, brushing the stray locks into place.

"That is not my intent. How are you? Where's Near?"

Raito rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, thank you. What do you want with Near? You gave him to me; he's out getting me coffee probably."

L shrugged. "I must discuss something with him."

"That's new… so… how was your _date _with Mello?" Raito yawned, brushing a piece of lint off of his jacket.

"Splendid."

Raito pursed his lips only to see L rolling his eyes. "He's too young for you, L…"

"I know that."

Before Raito could answer, the door opened and Near was there, his mussed disposition new to L and upon seeing the dark-haired man, Near straightened immediately.

"M-Mr. Lawliet, you're back," he greeted. "Is your vacation over?"

Raito noticed the cup of coffee in Near's hand and groaned. "Near, I haven't touched the _first_ cup-"

"This is not for you," Near grumbled and slurped.

L smiled at him, taking a step towards the boy. "My vacation is over, Near. But I'm here to ask a favor of you."

"Yes, sir," Near responded, seemingly cheered by L's presence.

"I have found a young man in need of a companion. And I think you're it."

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thoughts? Concerns? Questions? Hit me. _


	11. Synergism

A/N: _You review me, I'll write for you. That's synergy, people, and we've got it going on._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Eleven.**

**-**

There was a slight silence, in the kind in which no one really knows what to say. Raito turned to L with a big sigh of relief and clasped a hand onto the man's shoulder. "L, finally. But you didn't tell me you were coming back so soon. Did Mello dump you?"

L brushed the hair out of his eyes. "There was no dumping. But last night I realized that even though Mello and I had been out all the time and even with the gifts I had earlier purchased, he is still not happy. His friend that died was important to him, more so than I had before surmised. The only thing that can replace him is someone as dear, a friend." L smiled over at Near who quietly sipped his coffee. "And Near, you and Mello are only a few years apart. You would be perfect companions."

"You can't just pair people up like that," Raito protested. "It isn't natural! This is a fortune five hundred company, not eHarmony!"

"I think it's quite natural. Mello is young, Near is young… They're young people in need of camaraderie."

Raito seemed a little put off at this. "_Young_?" He gestured to himself and L. "We're not exactly geriatrics, you know!"

"You just said a moment ago that I was too old for Mello."

"I wouldn't have said it if I knew about this! Honestly, L, can't you leave that boy alone?"

"I cannot. I ruined his life."

"Well, now you're ruining _mine_."

"You're just dramatic."

"I have every reason to be!"

"Excuse me," Near interrupted, finally done with his coffee and more stable. He had been waiting his turn to talk but it then seemed like that turn would never come. Both older men looked down at him in expectation. Near cleared his throat, "Mr. Lawliet… I'm not sure I completely understand your reasoning but from what I have gathered, you ran a young man over with your car. Now his friend is wallowing in sorrow. But you were going to fix it and were doing so well… why do I have to get involved?"

"He was never doing _well_, just throwing money at the problem," Raito huffed.

L ignored this. "You don't have to get involved, Near. It's only something I want you to think about."

Near seemed leery and looked at the ground for a moment. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What does this job entail?"

L smiled. "Working at a flower shop."

-

It was around ten o' clock and the streets were paved with pedestrians just trying to get from point A to point B. Near looked out at them through the glass of L's passenger side window and sighed as they turned round the corner and left the vicinity of IDM. Near was still in his business attire despite L's invitation to change into something more comfortable. Near couldn't handle too many changes at once and as they entered the heart of the city, the cobblestone sidewalks turning to concrete, he wondered if he had made the right decision.

He sighed heavily and sat back in his seat. L noticed this and spared the boy a glance, smiling, and said, "I appreciate this, Near. What you're doing. Mello will appreciate it, too, you know."

Near nodded solemnly. He didn't care about Mello. Mello was a blond shadow behind a curtain to him at the moment, not a person and not the reason he had agreed to this. He raised his eyes to L as the man drove, one knee pressed up to his chest and the other gently tapping the gas pedal. He was a more tangible reason to be doing anything and Near felt relaxed at seeing L's composed state and forgot his insecurities at starting a new job. If L was this confident in his abilities, he had no reason to shirk.

They slowed and parked on the curb in front of the same flower shop Near had visited a few weeks ago. L got out first and Near met him on the sidewalk and as the boy was going up to the door, he was stopped.

"Wait, Near. Come here for a second."

Near turned to see L at the trunk of the car. He pulled out some green garment as Near approached and Near blanched a little as L held the apron up to him. "Here, put this on," he said, handing the apron to him. "It will look good on you."

"But sir…"

"And you can stop calling me sir and Mr. Lawliet. You don't work for me now."

Near frowned heavily at hearing that and was about to protest, potentially quit the shop before he had started, until L placed a hand on his shoulder in a calming manner. He smirked and said, "We're friends, so you're permitted to call me L."

Near said nothing, only took the apron placidly.

"All right, let's go," L said and walked for the door.

The bell rang over L's head and he was greeted by Mello's blue eyes from behind the counter.

"Hey, L," he said. "Where's your uniform?"

L's answer was Near walking in, the apron tied around his waist and the hem down to his shoes. He walked with large steps so as not to stumble and trip into the shop and looked up, greeted not with kind indifference but with a gasp of disgust.

"What the fuck? L? Who-? Why? _ROSIE_!" Mello shouted and caused some loud calamity to happen in the back room - something like crashes and thuds and Rosie came running out of the back with a sleek black BB gun.

"What's wrong? Who's robbing us?" she asked, waving the gun around with a lack of expertise.

L hurriedly stepped in front of Near. "No one is robbing _anyone_, please put the gun away."

"I don't want to work here, L, don't leave me here," Near whispered, shivering like a leaf behind the grown man.

"It's all right, Near," he announced and pushed Near out in front, his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Near is here to work, nothing more. Mello, you mustn't be so alarmed by him."

"He's wearing your uniform! What's going on?"

"Oh, dear," Rosie sighed, lowering the gun with a look of relief. "Thank goodness. Yes, L, I remember our conversation on the phone…" She went into the back again, perhaps to put the device away and called, "We sure will miss you, L!"

"_Miss_?" Mello stomped around the counter. "We're not going to _miss_ him! He's not going anywhere! L, you aren't going anywhere, are you?"

"I am going back to work. My vacation is over," L replied, slightly taken aback my Mello's reaction.

"Vacation?" Mello stressed. "You were just working here for a vacation?"

"I told you last night, Mello-"

"No, you didn't! A-And even if you did, this is _fucked up_, man! How're you just going to leave like that? And bringing this _kid_ in here as a replacement is not going to help!"

"I am _your_ age," Near responded glumly.

Mello narrowed his eyes at the boy hiding behind L and took a threatening step towards him, fists balled. "_What_ was that? I'm not even talking to you-"

"Mello," L said, holding his hands out, "please calm down. I don't know why you're so upset, I'm doing this for you. It's not as if you'll never see me again."

"I don't _care_ if I never see you again," he huffed, folding his arms and turning away.

"He is more dramatic than Raito," Near said, coming out from behind L.

Mello whipped his head around. "You haven't been here for more than a minute, kid, don't make me open a can of whoop-ass on you!"

"My name is Near, not kid," he responded, ignoring what he now thought to be idle threats. "And I will be working with you here."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"You don't."

"_What_?"

"Oh, Mello," Rosie called, coming into the front room once again. She seemed less mussed than before and walked over to the three boys to break up immerging fights. "Don't be so harsh with the little tyke."

Near frowned. _Tyke? _he thought, insulted.

"Ha," Mello intoned.

"He's here to help and comes highly recommended from L," Rosie said matter-of-factly and smiled down at Near. She grinned at the way L's apron hung on him and said, "Would you like another apron, Near? One that fits?"

"I like this one," he said quietly, clutching at the apron.

"This is fucking ridiculous. You can't just switch them out," Mello whined to Rosie.

Rosie grinned wider. "Why not? A worker is a worker, right? Unless L is your preference, Mello."

"I-I don't have a preference!" He glanced at L and faintly remembered, through the haze of all the wine, L's hand on his at the restaurant. He reddened and shouted, louder than need be, "L's just trained is all! It'll take me forever to get this pipsqueak up to speed!"

"I assure you, Near is quite quick at picking things up. It will be simple for him, Mello."

"Yeah, whatever…"

Rosie smiled brightly, ignoring all the negative feelings in the air. "Well, the day is young! Let's see what we can teach Near before the day is out. Come along, Near, this way," she chirped, taking the boy by the hand and bringing him along to the back room. Near looked back over his shoulder, maybe to get one last reassuring expression from L but only saw L place his hand on Mello's arm before he was dragged into the back.

"Mello," L said softly, "Near is an efficient person. He will not be a burden."

"I don't like him," Mello responded, brooding.

L, sensing Mello's mood had slightly improved with the help of Near's disappearance, decided to take a different approach. "I would never leave you," he said and Mello looked at him wearily. "I will see you so often, you will get sick of me."

"I'm already sick of you," Mello said and gave him an indifferent glance. He sighed loudly and pushed L's hand away, tired of the contact. "Whatever, L."

"I'll prove it to you," L said, reaching into his back pocket. Mello watched with mild interest and his eyes widened upon being handed a shiny new cell phone. Mello took it almost numbly and L explained, "So you will have no problem contacting me. You may fill it with however many numbers you like, but mine is the only one in there at the moment."

Mello held it for a second, entranced by the sleek feel of it, and realized that he had never before had a cell phone, not even in high school. He looked up and L and hid his expression of gratitude with a disconcerted one. "L, that's kind of creepy."

"Why?"

"Your number is the only one in here… and I told you not to buy me anything more!"

"Oh, I thought you meant just food."

"_No_, I meant _anything_."

"Well, it's yours now."

"Psh. Thanks."

L sighed.

Mello shook his head. "No. _Thanks_. Like, I mean it," he said and put the phone into his back pocket.

"Ta-dah!" came a call from the threshold of the back room and both men looked over to see Rosie holding a pair of shears and Near, dismayed, with his apron cut off at his knees.

-

When L had gone, Mello looked upon his new coworker with distaste and dissatisfaction. Though he felt the cell phone that connected him to L in his pocket as a constant reminder to not throttle L's protégé, he had a hard time with it. Near was too small to be taken seriously and his white hair was off-putting. Rosie had instructed Mello to tutor Near on the ways of the cash register and Mello did so begrudgingly, careful not to get too close to Near, lest their elbows touch.

Fortunately, Near was quick on the uptake, as L had said, and when the first customer walked in, Near was almost a natural. Almost, because as Mello stood back and watched, Near seemed to have little to no personality. As the customer approached the counter, an elderly man with a large bushy beard, Near faced him emotionless and said in greeting, "This is a flower shop. What flower will you purchase and how many and would you like a card?"

The man blinked, scratched his head and looked around. "Well… I was thinking about petunias… they're for my sister, you see. What would you recommend?"

"Petunias it is then. How many?"

"Um… err…" He looked at Mello, who was leaning against the wall, for some assistance, but Mello shook his head in refusal. The man sighed. "I suppose a dozen."

"Would you like a card?"

"Sure."

"What will it say?"

"Um… 'To my dearest sister, Agatha.' And you can leave out the um."

"Noted. We have a selection of cards for patrons. Please choose," Near said and pulled out a large binder full of different cards. Near flipped to the first page of about fifty and pointed to the first card. "This is a light pink with-"

"Okay, that one," the man said, not wanting to endure Near's guide through greeting cards.

"Very well." Near shut the binder. "That will be twenty-seven-fifty-two."

There were two more customers after that and Mello chipped in so things would go quicker. Other than his monotonous way of doing things, he was quite useful at doing calculations in his head and no one gave him any trouble for being so small.

After the small rush of three customers, Mello was leaning against the back wall after having swept again. His right hand was in his side pocket, fingers lightly ghosting over the case of his new cell phone. The silken feeling under his coarse skin was fascinating and somewhat calming. With that brat in L's spot, he needed something to comfort him and he could only sweep so much. Rosie was on her lunch break and with the shop so quiet, he thought he could maybe give L a call. Just to see if he truly meant what he said - _I would never leave you _- or if he was full of shit.

The more he looked over at Near, standing at attention at the counter, the more he fondled his cell phone and that itch to call L was aggravating. But giving in to that itch would seem weak and needy, almost Matt-needy and he couldn't be that. He couldn't be Matt.

Mello let go of the cell phone and crossed his arms. "Hey, Near," he called.

Near perked up and craned his neck to see the blond. "Yes, Mello?"

"You know, when I was out with L before… we saw you in front of Sbarro and you were with some guy. Who was he?"

Near raised an eyebrow. "Why would you need to know that?"

"Just interested." Mello raised an eyebrow to match Near's. "Is he a friend?"

"That is not your business." He turned back around.

Mello growled. "Dammit, Near! It is my business, okay? That guy has been stalking me for weeks! I need to find him, so just tell me his name, okay?"

"No."

"What? Listen, kid, I'm your superior and you're on probationary service here! One slip up and you're tossed out on your ass!"

"You have neither the authority nor the influence to fire me," Near said, looking ahead coolly.

Mello's face reddened with fury and before he decided to pick up the broom and chase the boy out of the store, he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and held it aloft. "Listen here, you pasty bastard! L gave me his phone number and if I call him, he'll make you come back to work over there!"

Near's left eye twitched as he turned again to Mello. "Why would L give you his private number?"

Mello grinned a little, feeling a slight shift in power. "Maybe it's because he likes me so much. But this phone is a direct line to him and if you don't tell me who it was you were with, I'll tell L you're half-assing over here!"

"He wouldn't believe you," Near replied, tiny fists balled on the countertop. But there was a waver in his voice and Mello's grin widened and just as each of them thought they would burst, the bell rang at the front door and Rosie walked in with a Styrofoam box in hand.

"Hello, boys," she greeted, bypassing them and their fury as she went into the back. "I have left over Chinese from lunch! Who likes egg rolls? Mello, there's some fried rice in here… Boys?"

Rosie stuck her head out and gasped at Mello holding a broom over his head and Near shielding himself with the greeting card binder.

"Hey!" She ran out in the middle of them and took the broom from Mello. "Shame on you, Mello, picking on tiny Near! He's a new employee!"

"He's a little rat," Mello raged, growling over Rosie's shoulder at the smaller man.

Near lowered the binder cautiously. "He is a mad dog. If I turn my back, he might be inclined to stab me."

"Gladly!"

"_Mello_," Rosie chided.

"I don't care!" Mello shook Rosie off of him and trudged for the front door, broom in hand. "If anyone needs me, I'll be sweeping… sheesh…" The bell rang.

Once out in the sun, Mello began to furiously sweep the sidewalk, gathering in a pile any stray bubblegum wrapper or piece of newspaper. People walked by hurriedly to try not to get their shoes swept up in Mello's passion for cleaning the street. He carried on in a huff for about half an hour until he wore himself down and slowed down, leaning the broom up against the shop windows. He sighed heavily and felt the heft of the cell phone in his hand as he pulled it out once again. He found the phonebook inside and the one number, the one letter attached to it - _L_.

Mello's thumb hovered over the call button for a long moment, and he thought of hearing the endless ringing on the line. The prospect of waiting anxiously like a horny schoolgirl was hell and he flipped the phone closed and cursed long and loud and the masses crossed the street hurriedly.

-

"Jesus Christ, is this how he acts when he misses you?"

L couldn't wipe the smile off of his face as he looked out of the passenger's side window of Raito's car. Seeing Mello losing his mind over one small number and the loss of L's presence was awakening some sort of sadistic pleasure in him. The last time he could remember a smile so wide on his face was when he caught Raito a few years ago sitting in a pile of Oreos while on a self-imposed diet.

Raito turned to L with an unhappy expression. "You're happy, huh? You just lost me a great assistant, you know."

L waved the statement away. "Near will be fine."

The engine started and Raito pulled out from between the two cars across the street from Rosie's Posies.

"You know, L…"

"What?"

"He's going to go insane without any coffee to deliver."

"Probably."

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thank you for the reviews, all, I'm here for comments and questions! _


	12. Frothy

A/N: _Oh, nothing from the ground is good enough! _

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Twelve.**

-

The days were growing cooler in the upcoming October. The leaves that were once green reddened and were gilded as they fell to the ground. Gutters were clogging in the rain and the clouds blocked out the sun; L looked out from his office window and felt slightly trapped in the building, the day winding down to a boring three o' clock and he sighed.

"Oh, don't be so down, huh?" Raito said with some sort of exhalation, as if he shouldn't have to cheer L up. "You act as if you're miserable to be back here with me."

L swiveled around to see the brunet lounging on the corner of the desk. "It is not that at all… rain depresses me."

"I see. Then what can we do to enliven you?"

There was a shrug and L directed his gaze towards his cell phone laying on the hardwood desk amidst a jumble of papers. Raito followed that gaze and slid off of the desk, facing L with hands planted firmly on hips. "What? You want Mello to call you? You gave him that cell phone, surely you have its number. Just call the brat."

"No, no, I want to give him his space. He knows he can call me when he needs me," L said, standing from the chair.

Raito sputtered, caught off guard, "G-Give him his _space_? What're you saying? You're not his lover, there's no need for talks of space!"

"Oh?" L looked over his shoulder at Raito with the beginnings of a smirk.

"Don't _oh_ me!" A blush suffused his face with color and he turned his back to L. But as always, he could practically feel L's emotions like radiation on his skin; he rolled his eyes at the light snickering coming from the window. "Listen here, L, your vacation is over, so just get used to it! There's so much work to be done! Speaking of which, I suggest you take a look at these. Near came to pester me one night with them, and he seemed desperate for you to get your hands on them…" Raito eyed the stack of paper he had brought in and laid on L's desk.

L raised an eyebrow and reached for them. After a second of flipping through them, he murmured, "Near did all this?"

"He did. And I think all his hard work deserves some recognition, even if its useless."

"I have a hard time believing that you heard him out on this proposal," L hummed distractedly.

"I didn't. But it's no secret he cared about this job and didn't want to see the company loose its footing and fall in with Oak Group. Just look at it," Raito said, waving a hand flippantly, and walked for the door.

"Thank you, Raito, I'll do that."

Raito shut the door behind him and exhaled as he relaxed back onto the jamb. The office was filled with the eternal soundtrack of swift fingers on keyboards and the soft drone of casual chit-chat. Having been at the company for nearly six years, Raito knew these sounds well and coexisted with them without qualm. But to someone whose ear was so trained, the soundtrack seemed to be skipping lately, the absence of Near's shuffle against the gray carpet.

And for some reason, Raito was craving coffee a little.

-

"Fucking hell, Near! Can't you go somewhere?"

"I was here first."

"Stay on your side then!"

"You really are a child."

"You know, I've had it up to here with your-"

"Mello, Mello," Rosie rebuked the blond for his temper as she was gently watering the flowers. She sighed as she did so and continued to hum to herself, keeping an eye on the two. The thought never crossed her mind that the new employee would cause Mello so much grief or vice versa but she made a promise to L before his departure that she would keep the little tyke safe from harm. But it wasn't easy; Mello and Near got into it every five minutes and over the most miniscule things.

Presently, Mello was occupying one side of the counter while Near was standing next to him and the white-haired boy was obviously too close for comfort. The two of them were like kids in the back seat of a minivan and restless, agitated, because of the long trip ahead. Rosie sighed audibly when Mello started up with Near again and couldn't believe it had only been _three _days since Near began working here. It seemed an eternity. An eternity of calling Mello's name in an attempt to tame him and occasionally jumping in between a broom-and-binder battle.

Once, Mello went out on lunch break and Rosie asked Near to sweep around the flowers for her. He obliged and in a few minutes, Rosie heard Mello's foul sailor mouth in the front room. She popped her head in and Mello was giving Near what-for for using 'his' broom. But not everything was Mello-provoked, as Rosie had found out the day before around noon. In the back room in one of the corners, there was a small refrigerator that Rosie usually put drinks and left-over Chinese inside. Near was using it that day for his sandwich and seemed to be keeping a close eye on it. When Mello came into the back and opened the fridge door, Near loudly accused him of attempting to sample the sandwich.

The accused responded by spitting on Near's shoe and there began another entanglement.

Things like this just weren't expected but it was a small store and she could hardly try to separate them. The best thing Rosie could do, she felt, was just to hose them down when things got too fired up. Which she had done, a few times, only with the spray bottle and not a hose.

The bell rang above the door, shaking Rosie from her thoughts. A middle-aged man walked in, closing his umbrella as he did so. Rosie had failed to notice when it began to pour. She smiled and greeted, "Hello, sir! Awful weather, huh?"

"Oh yes," he hummed and approached the counter. Mello and Near ceased their bickering long enough for him to say, "Hello, I'm looking for some azaleas. Just half a dozen, please."

"Of course," Near said, ringing him up. "That will be fourteen-eleven. Mello, please gather his package."

"I'm not your slave boy, go get it yourself!" Mello snapped.

The customer blinked widely.

"Mello," Rosie chastised him but it seemed to have no affect and Near shook his head pityingly.

"It is all right, Mrs. Fontello. Mello is simply taking out his frustrations on me. Frustrations that cumulate steadily because L has yet to pay him any attention since leaving," Near said, gray eyes as stormy as the clouds above.

"You fucking liar! _Who_ did L drop off here like an aborted baby in a dumpster?" Mello asked sharply, a fist balled and slammed to the counter.

"It was _my_ decision to relieve L of this lowlife position."

"Lowlife?" Rosie questioned, scratching the back of her head.

"That comment was not directed at you, Mrs. Fontello."

"Oh, okay."

Mello growled, narrowing his eyes. "If you don't want to be here, then leave! Fucking leave! No one's _asking _you to stay!"

"_L_ is," Near replied with some stability.

"It's only because he doesn't want you!"

"Well then he must not want you either." Near folded his arms.

The man in front of the counter looked at his watch.

Rosie groaned loudly, running over with the spray bottle in hand and both boys shrank away from her. She blinked and put the bottle down, shaking her head tiredly. "Boys! Please, stop this, all this bickering is bad for business!"

"Rosie, _fire_ him," Mello nearly begged, turning to her. "Come on, you said it yourself: he's bad for business!"

"I will do no such thing, Mello, and I said _both _of your arguing is-"

"Well, I've got a train to catch…" the man said, walking hurriedly for the door. "I bid you all good day."

"Oh no! Please wait," Rosie called but the bell had rung and he was on the street under his umbrella. She cried out in grief and looked back at her two employees, presently with expressions like two young pups who had just wet the carpet. "All right, now your squabbles have just driven a customer away. What have you got to say for yourselves?"

"It was him," they echoed and looked at each other.

Rosie sighed. "Listen, I think I've got an idea, okay?" She hummed to herself and tapped at her temple with a forefinger. "Yep! How about some coworker bonding time?"

"Bonding?" Mello shrieked.

Near's mouth scrunched up tightly.

"Not anything like a work cruise," Rosie said thoughtfully. "I don't have the money for that. Rather, let's have a nice dinner together! My house! I'll do all the cooking and preparation, all right? Mello, I can make your favorite foods," she teased, pinching at Mello's cheek.

Mello considered this and his mouth began to water at the thought. L couldn't buy him food anymore but he had no sort of agreement like that with Rosie. He nodded and pointed towards Near. "Is he coming too?"

Near glared at the finger.

"Of course," Rosie trilled, "you'll come, won't you, Near? I can make anything you like!"

"Please, do not trouble yourself."

"It's no trouble at all! My assistant is ready and willing to help me out in the kitchen."

"… Assistant?"

"My husband!"

"I see." Near sighed, thinking it over. Finally: "Yes, I will attend. Thank you for the invitation."

"Yay," she cheered, convinced that this was the answer to Mello and Near's deep hate towards one another. "Good times, good times. Please show up tomorrow at seven, all right? We'll close the shop early just for the occasion!"

"Hey, Rosie, can we bring friends?" Mello asked, his hand in his pocket.

Rosie smiled. "Sure. You too, Near."

Near nodded silently.

Mello barked laughter. "He doesn't have any friends, Rosie!"

"_Mello_!"

-

That night, it was around eleven and the shop had been closed up hours ago and Mello was sitting on the floor in his bare living room, holding the only new thing he owned: his cell phone. He'd been procrastinating for the past two hours since arriving home. Folding clothes; taking out the trash; propping up the three-legged chair with pillows and other activities, trying to ignore the fact that he wanted to invite L to Rosie's dinner.

But now the chores were all done and he was full of rice and there was nothing on television besides infomercials promising bigger tits. Mello flipped the phone open and closed. Then open again. He groaned aloud and shouted, "Dammit, L! Why won't you call me?"

"Hey! Stop that cursing," a muffled voice demanded from downstairs. Followed by banging on Mello's floor - probably from the blunt end of a broom. A new neighbor had just moved in below him a few days prior: an old woman, lonely, and listening to Mello's every outcry.

"Fucking hell…" Mello sighed and, with whatever last-resort determination he found inside himself, he pressed the call button. The ringing began and he slowly moved it up to his ear.

One.

Two.

Thr-

"Hello, Mello."

"L!" Mello called and immediately rebuked his own excitement. He cleared his throat and said calmly, "I haven't talked to you in a while, you asshole; what have you been doing?"

"Waiting for your call, of course," he responded.

Mello blushed, scratching at the back of his head nervously. If Matt ever saw Mello like this, so choked and unsure, he would have surely done flips in his grave. "W-Well. You said I'd see you."

"Yes, I can be wherever you need me to be. But how has Near been working out over there?"

"Horrible."

"That's not good."

"L," Mello stressed, standing from the floor, "you left me with that brat and expected me to be okay with it! Near's just a freak; he accuses me of biting into his sandwiches and is always staring at me! Plus, I think he's jealous that _I_ have your phone number," Mello said smoothly, quite pleased with himself.

L chuckled. "He has no reason to be jealous; you rarely use it."

"I use it when I have to!" Mello countered.

"And why have you used it today, Mello?"

"Uh… right. Well, once again, it's because of Near. He's been starting arguments with me and a customer walked out today on us. So, Rosie said that we needed to bond together as workers. She's making dinner for us tomorrow at her house and said we could bring guests… would you wanna come?" He mumbled, looking around.

"Of course. Thank you for the invitation."

"Whatever…"

"So, Near has been starting fights, huh?"

"That's right. Little bitch. You know what he said to me today?"

"What's that?"

"He called me a lowlife for working at the flower shop! And he said you don't pay me any attention!"

"… Hm. And you said nothing to provoke him?"

"Nope."

"I see."

"You don't believe me!"

"Oh, I do. I just have never known Near to speak without prompt."

"Well, he's an ass."

"I'm sorry."

"Hmph."

"Well, if our phone conversation is over-"

"Wait a minute! Who said I was done talking?"

"All right. What would you like to talk about?"

"… Hell if I know."

-

Near sat on his bed in his apartment, sulking to himself. His closet was opened before him and all the clothes that had once been in place were now strewn all across the floor and the bed. He had not found one suitable thing for a casual dinner party. Everything in his wardrobe was useful only for work settings: ties and blazers and shiny shoes.

In his hand was a red tie from Brooks Brothers, one which he had been given when he was very small and it was the only thing of loud color he owned. It was rather slim and sleek and felt of silk but wasn't real silk. There were giraffes on the front, lining the tie with their bright yellow colors and mixing in with the red - truly, it was a ghastly piece of neckwear. But his mother had liked it and he was supposed to wear it to his first day of working at IDM. He never did.

He couldn't get over the embarrassment of coming to such a prestigious business wearing giraffes.

So it had been locked away in his closet and everyday when he dressed, the giraffes stared at him, glared at him, like: traitor. Near shook his head at it and wondered if the thing could be worn to a casual party. He had been demoted, as it seemed, from office intern to flower shop proprietor. He didn't even have any coffee to deliver. Rosie said she didn't drink it and Mello hardly needed anything caffeinated. And even if he did want coffee, Near would sooner throw it on the barbarian's massacred face than serve it to him.

But Near had a strong feeling that Mello would invite L to the dinner the next night.

"_Hey, Rosie, can we bring friends?" _

Yes, that was probably his plan. And knowing L, how admirably - and _sickeningly_ - devoted he was to making that ruffian happy, he would come. But while the prospect of seeing L was riveting - and all the _more_ reason not to wear giraffes on his tie - he couldn't help but feel a little sick, a bit of bile rise up in him. He imagined L coming with the intentions of pleasing Mello and catering to Mello and not at all to perhaps say hello to Near.

It was just a bit much. Just all a little bit too quick coming upon someone who had never really had friends before or felt that he needed them. And then all of a sudden, he finds someone with potential.

"_We're friends, so you're permitted to call me L."_

Finds a need.

Near rose off of his bed with an odd expression - the hybrid of a frown and grimace. Well, certainly, he would not loose his friend and would not be outdone by Mello, either. He held the red tie in his left hand and picked up the phone with his right, speed dialing.

One.

Tw-

"What _is_ it, Near?"

-

L showed up at Mello's apartment around six the next evening and, when Mello opened the door, he groaned in dismay.

"What's the matter?" L asked, head tilted.

"That," Mello said, pointing at the bottle of Chardonnay that L cradled in his arms.

L walked past Mello with a small smirk, leaving the bottle for Mello to hold. "You said it was a dinner party, right? I just thought I'd bring a gift. I'm sure Rosie wouldn't mind."

Mello shook his head, subtly trying to find a price tag.

L was quiet for a second and studied Mello when the blond didn't think he was looking. "You look nice, by the way," L said and smiled when Mello fumbled the Chardonnay bottle.

"Oh, yeah?" Mello mumbled, glancing down at himself. He would have rather been wearing his expensive leather outfit but it was dirty and he couldn't let L see him in the same thing twice. He was in jeans, wrinkled and torn at the hem, and a white t-shirt that had an old ketchup stain on the chest. His hoodie was over his shoulder, half wet from his still-drying hair from the shower. But L seemed sincere in his compliment and it gave Mello some pride in his grungy attire.

"Well, let's get going then, Mr. Rich Man." Mello walked for the door. He stopped and turned to look at L with an enticing smirk. "Unless people like you like being fashionably late."

L followed him, saying, "Oh, will you tease me now, because I am not an ex-janitor?"

"That's right."

Despite Mello's suggestion that they walk to Rosie's house - only a few blocks away - L coerced Mello into his car. Mello settled into the leather seats and played with the air conditioning vents and the radio and harassed L about not having anything worth playing. When they arrived, it was a comforting old brownstone building that Mello had only seen pictures of - when Rosie and her husband had that bad ant infestation and she showed her court pictures around.

The sun had already set and was sending streamers of light pink and orange into the vastly cobalt sky. The stars were in the east and Mello knocked on the door, leaving the Chardonnay with L.

"Hello, Mello," Rosie cried as she flung open the door. Neither Mello nor L was surprised at her bright greeting and didn't even mind her hugging the two of them as they entered. "Oh, L, it's you! Mello, you naughty thing, I didn't know you had been keeping company with L outside the workplace," she teased, pinching Mello's arm.

"What?" Mello frowned, narrowing an eye at her.

"Oh, don't make such a fuss! Come in, come in! L, what's this?" she asked, being handed the wine.

"It's for you. This is quite a kind thing you're doing for them - bonding." He looked around thoughtfully and then, interrupting the next thing Rosie would say, was a loud clank in the kitchen that lay beyond the dining room.

Rosie whipped her head around. "Oh, Albert! Are you alright in there?"

"I-I'm okay," answered a sheepish voice and out of the threshold popped an aging bald head with clouds of white hair like a wreath above his ears. The man was bigger than Rosie, stretching his white and blue polo shirt, but had kind eyes and greeted both Mello and L with warm handshakes. "Hello, boys, Rosie's told me so much about you." He looked towards L and said, "Are you Near?"

Rosie whispered to him, "Dear, that's L! Near's a tiny thing."

"Oh, that's right! Well, where is he then?"

Mello rolled his eyes towards L. "He's probably scared. He seems really unsocial."

"I don't think Near would hide," L observed.

Then, as if right on cue, there was a timid knock at the door and Rosie ran past everyone for the door. She threw it open and greeted, "Oh, Near! You look so cute! You've brought a guest!"

Mello gasped and rubbernecked from the living area but he still couldn't see Near or his guest. Rosie turned and lead the way into the living room and was holding a bottle of Pinot Noir, grinning widely. "Gee, are we sure going to party! Look at this, Albert!"

Mello raised an eyebrow. "So, you decided to show up - _what the fuck_?" he yelled, wide-eyed, as Raito came walking in behind Near.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thank you all for reading. Comments, questions, hit me. _


	13. Sapphire

A/N: _Thank you to all my reviewers, here's your next chapter._

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Thirteen.**

**-**

The sort of rage Mello harbored was almost cyclonic. It circled him and consumed him but was really nothing in comparison to the confusion and horror that Raito felt as he walked into the living area and saw the still damp blond hair that twirled around a charred cheek. And over that hair, nearly against it, was L, his eyes larger and darker than Raito could remember seeing them since the crash; but, strangely, L seemed semi-calm and almost a bit amused.

Near was standing confidently with Raito beside him, almost proud as he looked on at Mello with a smug face. Or as close to a smug face as someone like Near could come. Raito wasn't sure if L's amusement came from that interesting expression Near held or just the situation as a whole but Raito _was_ sure of one thing: it was time to get the fuck out of here.

He turned on his heel and that triggered Mello's outburst, "It's you! Hey, you sick freak, I got you now, you're not going anywhere," and with that, Mello ran past both Near and Rosie and tackled Raito with all the force of a three-hundred pound footballer. Raito's yelp was cut short as both of them went crashing to the ground and Rosie gasped loudly, her eyes bugging out of her head.

"MELLO!" she cried, having never seen her employee go so far as to throw himself on someone.

Near, thoroughly surprised and a mite bit heated, called down to the floor, "Mello, stop that this minute - Raito has done noth - M-_Mello_!" Near sidestepped the two of them as they knocked over one of the chairs pushed in around the dinner table.

Raito had diverted from trying to talk some sense into the young man and was currently attempting to scratch out Mello's eyes. Mello was tearing at clothes and punching at empty spaces as they tossed and rolled around the gray carpet. Profanities were exchanged and L found it highly amusing to hear Raito matching Mello's vast vocabulary. The two of them rolled to the left and knocked over a small table and a phone and small lamp fell to the floor.

"Oh, Albert, can't you stop them?" Rosie cried, looking to her husband who seemed at a loss.

He lifted a foot to let them pass. "Um… all right now, boys, that's enough…"

"That isn't helping," Rosie crowed in anguish.

Near was still following them around, shuffling as fast as they rolled. "Mello, Raito is my guest, leave him alone! Mel-" but to no avail, as they came back around, Near was swept up in the cyclone that was Mello's rage. He toppled over and was in the middle of the fight, which seemed to suit Mello just fine as he shouted, "Come on, Near, you bitch, I'll whoop you both!"

"_L_," came the strangled cry that was from Raito. "Do something!"

L had taken light on one of the dining room chairs, out of the way of the struggle, and seemed intrigued by Raito's call for him. He raised an eyebrow, following the three of them around the room with his eyes. "What can I do?"

"Control this beast," he said, muffled, because of Near's hair in his mouth.

Rosie nodded, holding the bottles of wine out of their reach. "Yes, please do something!"

L sighed and nodded. He supposed it had gotten out of hand, what with little Near now involved, and he got off of his perch. The trio came rumbling around in some resemblance of an oval and L anticipated their next move, reaching down quickly, and snatching Mello by the back of the collar out of the confusion. Due to lack of glue, the rest of the ball fell apart and Near and Raito lay on the floor in a sprawl, panting and sweating.

"What the fuck are you doing, L? Let me go, goddammit! That's the stalker right there and Near knew this whole time and-"

"Excuse us for a moment," L said politely and, with Mello in tow, went to a closet by the kitchen threshold, one used for coats and hats. Everyone in the room stared as L shut the door behind them.

It was dark in the closet, and cramped, and there were heavy wintertime coats that smelled of mothballs. Mello jerked away from L's hold on him and coughed and sneezed, batting away the coats.

"What is it, L? Just what the fuck is it? Can't you see I'm busy-"

"Now, Mello," L hummed boredly, "isn't this all a bit middle school?"

"_Middle school_?" Mello shrieked.

"Indeed. Raito has done nothing worth such a pummeling and neither has Near."

Mello paused for a moment and in the darkness, the only sounds were their breathing and, outside the door, Raito going off. "Wait," Mello said, "you know him?"

"I do. He works at IDM with me, on the fourth floor. He and I work closely."

"What the fuck? Why didn't-"

"I did not know it was him stalking you. This comes as a surprise to me too," L hummed and if Mello could have made out his expression, he would have most certainly found some version of guilt. "But either way, he has done nothing if not doted upon you, am I right?"

"He's been spying on me, L!"

"So what if he has? If it was to make you happy-"

"That's not going to make me happy, L! It's just not," Mello cried with some desperation, and he pushed L against the wall of jackets behind him. The adrenaline was still running through his body, charging him, and he felt the immense need to get this through to the man, "That's not what I want! It's the same reason you can't buy me food or shit; I'd rather just have…"

Light rained in as the door was opened and four pairs of eyes were on them – Mello with L pinned to the wall, fingers anxiously clutching at his shirt.

"O-Oh, my," Rosie stammered.

Mello blushed furiously and let go, as if having touched something dirty. "Agh, Rosie, don't be ridiculous! Get me out of here," he said, pushing past her into the dining room. He looked to the side, at Raito, who was quite a mess, his two-hundred dollar tan blazer torn to ribbons and hair as if he had just had furious, gratifying sex. Raito glared at Mello lightly, smoothing back his hair and finally turned to L as he came out of the closet as well.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" he questioned.

L nodded sympathetically. "Raito, I have told Mello."

"Finally!"

"And we are both highly disappointed that you did not express your love for him in a civilized, social manner."

"… What?"

"Yeah," Mello interjected, stomping his foot in Raito's direction. "I mean, I'm_ not_ interested, but you didn't have to be so secretive and follow me and send me flowers and shit. Fucking hell."

Raito gasped, flabbergasted.

Near sighed, turning his head to the side with folded arms.

"It's not like I would be caught dead in a relationship with _you_, you filthy-" Raito began but was silenced by L's severe glance over Mello's shoulder. Raito glared vehemently and raised an eyebrow to L. L answered with the raising of both eyebrows and Raito sighed, more or less groaned, and turned to their host.

"Mrs. Fontello, I'm sorry about all the commotion. Please allow me to pay for the furniture we damaged." He reached back into his pocket and unfurled a few twenties from a clamp of money.

Mello blinked. "Yeah, L, I can see he works with you…"

L smiled and then looked to Rosie as she fawned over Raito for his generous contribution and Albert awkwardly trying to refuse the money.

"Rosie, you don't take guests' money…"

"Nonsense!" She flashed a smile at Mello. "He's got plenty to go around, right?"

Mello gasped and pouted.

"So, what say we get dinner served, all right?" she asked everyone, tucking the roll of money into her pocket.

There was time that went by and none of the awkwardness or tension in the room dissipated even though L let none of it effect him. While Rosie and Albert were bringing out dishes and setting them around the table, the four guests had to find places to sit and everyone seemed to want to sit next to L: Mello to make Near jealous; Raito to berate him; Near to not be ignored. But the table was relatively small and so Mello ended up on L's left and Near on his right and Raito across the table, between the two hosts.

When all the food was set down, there was a thick silence.

Rosie cleared her throat and wondered aloud, "Well, would anyone like to say a little something?"

"_I _would," Mello announced, catching everyone's attention. He neglected to shut his eyes and instead stared harshly at Raito. "Dear God, please punish creepy stalkers. Make them pay for the grief and the paranoia their victims have suffered through. Make them pay for the nights when their victims wondered if their stalker would bust through their bedroom window and attempt to rape them. In Your name, we pray, amen."

"A-Amen," Albert murmured, confused, and opening one eye to see if anyone else had even bothered.

Raito rolled his eyes.

"Beautiful sermon, Mello," L observed, cutting himself a piece of apple pie.

Mello eyed the pie and said, "Is that all you're having?"

"No. I thought I smelled blueberry pie, too."

"Ugh."

Rosie, clearly beside herself with exhaustion of the constant bickering, had decided to drink herself into contentment. She had two glasses of wine beside her plate: one red, one white, and took turns sipping. Albert tried to coax her into pacing herself but she only poured more.

"Are you even old enough to have wine?" Mello asked Near, leaning to see him.

Near looked at him with defiance and picked up his glass to drain the entire thing of white wine. He held the glass with both hands and, after a long moment, had to stop halfway, out of breath and pink in the face.

Mello sputtered laughter, spraying bits of food across the table and Raito cried out in disgust, shielding his plate with his arms. Near chuffed lightly and smiled at the unhappy look on Raito's face.

"Oh, Near, come on now," Raito said, sighing, "don't let your drink get the best of you."

"I have had wine before, Mello, and age is just a number," Near said confidently.

"That's right!" Rosie raised her glass. "And we certainly are old enough, aren't we, Albert?"

Albert shook his head. "That doesn't mean get silly with it."

Rosie ignored him. "Let's toast! Everyone raise your glasses to Near and Mello, my bright young employees! May they hold their liquor a-and always appreciate the beauty of sunflowers!"

"Steady, dear," Albert said, holding her as she tipped in her chair.

"To Near and Mello!"

"To Near and Mello," L echoed, sipping at his red wine. He looked on either side of himself and smiled at both of them. Near returned his smile kindly; despite his disapproval for L's company, he suddenly felt that L didn't mean anything harsh by accepting Mello's invitation. Near downed the rest of his glass and watched as L started on his third piece of pie.

The rest of dinner went as well as it possibly could: another squabble or two broke out between Mello and Near and Rosie halfway thwarted it with another toast; L was delighted when Rosie brought out the blueberry pie that was to be desert and Raito admonished him for eating half of the apple pie.

The party was moved into the living area onto the couches covered in plastic. But the boys didn't think it would be much of a problem until L tried to sit in his usual manner and fell to the ground with a thud. Mello laughed and was grinning impishly when L looked up at him. "See, L? this is why we sit this way," Mello said, sitting and slipping to the floor as well.

Raito found a plush chair to sit in and made himself comfortable, making sure he wouldn't fall off.

"Who'd like coffee with their pie?" Rosie asked, settling onto the couch adjacent from L, Mello and Near's.

Most raised their hand and Near stood up from the couch like a soldier ready to do his duty. "I would like to get the coffee, Mrs. Fontello," he said with purpose in his voice.

Mello rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, fuckin' chill."

"Oh, sure, Near. Cups are in the cupboard; would you like Albert to help you?"

"No thank you," Near said and disappeared into the kitchen, some kind of serene smile on his face. It seemed he was in his element. L watched him go and sat his plate down beside Mello and walked for the kitchen too.

Mello frowned, shaking his fork after the man. "Aw, can't you let him do his own thing, L?" Mello pouted when L waved at him dismissively and he turned around, huffing. Rosie and Raito eyed him knowingly and Albert studied his pie.

In the kitchen, Near had the coffee pot out and was to the left of the stove range, the cabinet was open and Near was on his toes with an outstretched hand. L watched for a second, entertained by the pitiful little cries escaping Near as he tried his hardest to reach. Then, Near felt someone's eyes upon him, and turned in mid-reach to stare at the man across the linoleum.

"Oh, L," he greeted, taking his hand away and standing at attention.

L chuckled, "At ease, Near." He walked up to him and looked interestedly at the coffee mugs on the second shelf. "Would you like some assistance?"

"I would…" Near confessed, eyeing the hateful shelf. "I – eek!" Near yipped as L picked him up under the arms and held him eye-level with the cups. Near blushed furiously as he tried to adjust himself to his new surroundings.

"Go ahead," L said gently.

Near nodded and grabbed the cups, two by two, and finally when he had all six, L let him down and the cups were deposited onto the counter by the coffee pot. Both Near and L worked together in silence to get the cups poured and L worked submissively under Near's direction when it came to how much cream and sugar to pour. When the cups were filled, Near asked gingerly, gaze lowered to his cup, "Why didn't you tell Mello the truth?"

L didn't falter: " Because I would like for him to continue talking to me."

"But you'll have to tell him sometime… won't you?"

"Oh, of course. But I am a procrastinator," L said as if there was nothing wrong with that and placed the cups on a serving tray.

Near turned to look the man in the eye. "I don't understand why it matters, L. You are back at the company, everything is right again. Mello has gotten so many gifts already… we could… _you_ could so easily step out of his life."

"You know it's not so easy-"

"It _is_," Near said impatiently.

L sighed. "I'm fond of him. He…" L set the last cup onto he tray and straightened, ruminated, as if looking for the right word or phrase and settled on: "He makes me happy."

Near stared at the floor, clutched his fist tightly. "Why? I don't understand. He is rude, brash, loud and uncouth. He decimates everything he touches."

"He has not decimated me," L said matter-of-factly but Near didn't seem in the mood for facts and felt odd to say the least, as he couldn't remember a time he had nothing logical to say by cause of emotions.

"Near," L said gently, smoothing the boy's hair down as it was still a bit mussed from his earlier tussle. "You shouldn't waste energy worrying about me. Use your time for more important things… Like that proposal for a grounding project to keep us from associating with Oak Group."

Near gasped, startled, and looked up. "You found it," he said, awed.

"Well, Raito gave it to me. I am thoroughly impressed; I knew you would make a fine asset to the company."

Near seemed embarrassed almost for the discovery and thought, _Raito was paying attention after all…_

"You don't mind me proposing it to the board, do you?"

Near's eyes widened. "No, not at all, L!"

He smirked. "Good. Now, let's get this cof-"

"Hey!" Mello came stomping into the kitchen, a confused scowl directed at Near. "What's going on in here? Are you guys drinking it all yourself?"

"We're coming, Mello," L said, leaving Near to do the serving and as Mello walked out by L's side, he glared back at Near but Near didn't seem to notice and his smile was bright.

At the end of the night, Rosie had sobered up and was teasing Albert about not drinking to the best of his abilities. Even though there was quite a bit of animosity between certain people, the whole party lasted longer than anyone could have guessed at the beginning of the night. It was eleven when Rosie and Albert were bidding farewell to their guests and Mello and Near watched each other with some form of curiosity as they each entered passenger sides of opposite cars.

"I'll be right there," L and Raito said to their prospective passengers and the two of them met on the sidewalk.

"Well, Mr. Lawliet, what have you got to say for yourself?" Raito asked, foot tapping on the concrete.

L smiled apologetically and touched Raito's arm. "You can't be mad at me, Raito, can you? In what way does this lie affect you?"

"In what way?" he cried shrilly. "In what way! How about my reputation? He thinks I'm a creep."

"Why do you care what Mello thinks?"

"I-I don't, but-"

"But…?"

Raito threw his arms into the air. "Oh, I give up! L, you'll tell him, won't you? That this entire thing has been a charade, a sham? Don't you think he deserves to know?"

L eyed him shrewdly. "I do, but you couldn't care less, could you?"

"You're right, I couldn't. But this is annoying. My suit is in shreds. He has some of my hair under his fingernails. I'm tired of it."

L sighed tiredly, shaking his head with slight mirth. "Take Near home safely," he said, walking away towards his car.

"Home? The night is young; we might as well go drinking," Raito said, laughing at L's expression, and got into his car.

-

It was late but Mello was a ball of excitement and it showed in the way he talked on the way home: fevered and heated, although with some rage – how _dare_ Raito show his face at the party? – it was true thrill that shone in his eyes. The streetlights came in waves over his body as he twisted around in L's leather seat and that same thrill was in his eyes when he asked L up to his apartment.

"-sure I got this straight," Mello said as they walked into the darkened apartment and L flipped the light switch. "You and Raito and Near all worked together at that IDM place and you're all friends? How'd you even manage in such a huge place?"

"Well, Raito and I have to work closely on some issues…" L said, looking around at the corpses of dried sunflowers on the floor.

Mello followed his gaze. "Oh, yeah. I never got rid of those."

L bent down to gather a few. "I'll help you," he said and remembered his first conversation with Rosie, ordering the flowers. Mello bent as well and when they were all picked up, Mello motioned for L to hand his over and he walked over to the window, pushing it up.

L watched as Mello threw them down and people from below cried out, being showered with dead flowers.

"Aw, shut up," Mello shouted, slamming the window shut.

"Hey! Stop yelling!" Pounding from the old woman below and her broom.

L looked down. "Who is that?"

Mello groaned. "Nobody…"

L didn't entirely understand but looked to Mello, his eyes narrowing at the floor and the flower petal stuck to his finger. "Mello," L began and his throat was dry. "I would like to talk to you about Matt…"

Mello rolled his eyes and turned away. "Aw, come on, L… what for? It's something I'd rather not think about. Really. What a buzz kill."

"I know, but I really-"

"L-"

"Mello-" _Let me say this before I can't anymore._

"Fine!" Mello snapped, taking L by the wrist and dragging him into the small hallway, into the bedroom. "Fine, okay, this is were we slept and this was his bunk," Mello said, pointing towards the top bunk that was unmade but rarely slept in. "I gave the Goodwill his clothes and his mom took everything else. He was my best friend and I hate the_ fuck_ out of that bastard for getting himself killed. Okay? That enough for you?" Mello turned to L, fighting the saline at his eyes.

L nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, Mello."

"Oh, hell, don't _apologize_," Mello said gruffly and sat on the bottom bunk heavily. L watched for a second, looked around the room curiously, and came back to Mello. He sat beside him and touched the boy's shoulder, where it was silky and without scar. Mello eyed him suspiciously. "You're not going to say something deep, are you? Because I don't feel like it."

"I don't think I could come up with anything on such sort notice."

"Okay."

They sat side-by-side for a few minutes until it almost seemed pathetic to do so, and Mello was about to get up, maybe do the hospitable thing and offer L some rice, but L took his shoulder again. "What?" Mello asked, and L's eyes were veiled by his hair. "Hey, L? You okay?"

"I'm sorry," he said and leaned in and was grateful when Mello accepted the embrace.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Did a lot of work on the old comp today. Busy, busy, but found time for my writing itch. Comments? Revelations? Hit me._


	14. Downpour

A/N: _Thanks to all my reviewers. Also, I put up a new poll on my profile and would be very pleased if everyone could find the time to vote._

**-**

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Fourteen.**

-

"You didn't have to do this," Near almost had to shout over the beat of the music - the resonating bass made his drink ripple in its glass and his feet shake on the ground.

Raito eyed him over the table, the small candles that lit up their space and the fancy, over-the-top Sex on the Beach sprigged with a flower and fruit. "What do you mean?" he asked, taking a sip and Near looked down at his plain red wine - his fourth glass that night. He felt that he might tip over.

"I mean, take me here. I was under the impression many liked to drink alone."

"What? You must know a bunch of alcoholics, Near," Raito said, pointing at him. "Regular people like to go drinking with friends."

Near's eyes lighted up and he paused for a second, staring into his drink, and then smiled. "You know, L called me his friend too."

"Is that so? L's such a busybody, he doesn't need too many friends."

Near continued to smile, his upturned face even paler under the light. "You're jealous of Mello."

Raito snorted and some of the drink dribbled out of his nose. Raito hurried to dab it up and Near laughed, more like a giggle really, and turned his head away.

"Just what do you mean, jealous?" Raito asked, slightly embarrassed.

"I mean what I said. You don't like that Mello is around L all the time. It's all right though. I don't much care for Mello either."

"… Oh. Well, then you understand my frustration," Raito mumbled.

"What?" Near asked.

"I _said_, you can understand my frustration."

"Oh. Yes." Near nodded and, flushed slightly from all the liquor, downed the rest of the glass. "But if it makes L happy, then I will not intervene. I feel almost childish for having pouted about it before."

"Are you calling me childish, Near?"

"Yes," he said, dim gray eyes turned to the brunet. Raito seemed about to make a fuss and Near held a hand out limply. "But even though you're a child, it's… cute."

"Cute?" Raito echoed, an eyebrow raised.

"I think that's the word. Because…" He tapped his fingers on the stem of the empty glass and smiled softly. "Because when I was little, my dad used to go off for days. And usually I wouldn't care but I had just gotten a new toy and asked if he would want to play robots with me but he had to go. I guess I was really upset because I tried to follow him to his car with my toy and my mother picked me up and told me I was cute, because I didn't want him to leave. So… I think that's the right word. Cute. Right?"

Raito blinked. "Near, you might've had too much to drink…"

"And thank you for giving L my proposal," he said, ignoring Raito's declaration.

"What? He told you I did that? I was just doing it because you seemed so desperate about the whole thing…"

"Mmhmm. You might actually have a hand in saving the company."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing," Near said and giggled again and Raito looked on, confused, and wondering if someone so small should drink so much.

-

"You don't have to do this."

Somehow, Mello was down against the mattress, his hair fanned out beneath him and curling around his cheeks. The bit of moonlight that came from the only window in the bedroom lit up Mello's mouth and chin and neck and L's fingers that lingered there. L was sitting rather upright, one knee on the bed, the other foot planted on the floor and they were both probably a little tipsy. Mello hadn't drank much of Near's coffee and L had continued to sip red wine, to get his courage up, and it was up, it was enough for him to have held Mello in place on the bed.

"What do you mean?" L asked, running his fingers along the scar line on Mello's neck.

"I mean be nice like this," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Just because of him." Mello pointed upward, towards the top bunk, like Matt was still up there.

L's hand moved up to touch Mello's cheek, cupping it briefly, and then moving on to tangle in blond hair. "It's not just because of him. Mello… listen. I take you as my friend. And because you are, I can no longer deceive you."

"Huh?"

"I _value_ you, Mello." L wasn't sure if Mello knew what he was saying and for a split second _he_ wasn't even sure if he knew what he was saying but Mello smiled and L took that as a good sign. He continued, "And Raito… he never stalked you."

Mello blinked. "What do you-"

"Please do not interrupt. I sent you the flowers. I bought you the clothes. I sent Raito to give you the money because I didn't want you to see me," L said calmly and he found that as he spoke, it opened up the floodgates and everything came pouring forth, "And I have done it all with no intention of bringing you pain. It was always with your happiness in mind. But I put Raito in a horrible position and Near as well, putting them both where they don't want to be and it seems that I have failed."

When L looked back at Mello, he was surprised to see not anger but bewilderment. Mello searched for something to say in the face of L's confession and could only come up with: "But why? What in hell would you do all that for? Was it because you liked me? I don't-"

"Because I saw your face at the crash."

"… What?"

"The look on your face when Matt died and I was… I was the one behind the wheel."

A thin cry followed, something like the sound a rabbit would make as a bear trap clamped on its frail leg. Mello turned away, his hands rising into his hair and gripping there.

"What?" he asked and not to L in particular. He was out of the path of moonlight and up against one of the bedposts, no longer touching L.

"I'm so sorry-"

"No, L, you can't tell me… you… God, L."

"Mello-"

"You've been lying to me since the day you met me and you… Get out, all right? Just go." Mello's voice cracked like it had during puberty and he stayed in the shadows as L rose from the bed. L looked at him for a moment and then left quietly, slightly afraid he would hear that horrible cry again. The front door shut softly behind him and as L heard some glass shattering and then, faintly, that voice from downstairs shouting, "Stop making racket up there!"

-

_What was I supposed to say?_

"_I forgive you, L. I forgive you, I forgive you."? I couldn't do it. Not after all the lies he told me. Everything that's happened these past weeks, it's all been an illusion L created for me, just to keep himself from being found out._

_He should have never done anything for me. I never needed it. I wish he would have just LEFT ME THE HELL ALONE._

… _But he didn't. And I'm not alone anymore. Even though he's a bastard and Raito's a bastard and Near's a bastard, I just don't feel…_

_So lonely anymore._

-

Near didn't show up for work the next day.

Rosie walked into the front room with her hands on her hips, looking out into the dismal day. "My! Near's never been even a minute late before, much less an hour… I wonder if he's sick?" When Mello didn't answer, she turned to look at him, slouching all over the counter and not looking too well himself.

"Oh, no, not you too," she said, coming over to him and putting a hand over his forehead. "We can't have two sick workers!"

"Ah, Rosie, cut it out. I'm not in the mood," he said lamely and pushed her hand away.

She frowned worriedly, hands clasped between her bosom. "Oh… you don't feel good, do you? Did we keep you out too late last night?"

"You knew, didn't you?"

"Hmm?"

Mello's gaze rolled to her. "You knew it was L that sent me the flowers all along. Because you knew his name and credit card number, right?"

"Oh… I see. He told you finally, huh?" She nodded solemnly and turned to go into the back room. Mello followed her, leaning in the doorway, watching as she trimmed some of the flowers. "Well, it had to happen sometime… I thought of telling you, but, it just seemed wrong."

"Wrong? How can you say that, Rosie? Do you know what he did? He was… well, Matt…"

"I had a hunch it was something he'd done but didn't want to say… But, as I remember you telling me, Matt walked out in the middle of a busy intersection."

"Yeah, yeah, Matt was a retard. But L _lied _to me."

"Only to try and help you, Mello."

"Well, I'm not being helped. I never asked for help, either. This is stupid. He's about as stupid as Matt is, too."

"Oh, Mello!"

Mello folded his arms, scowling. "I'm serious. I mean, hell, the guy I thought was my friend… I don't even know him. All those things he said to me could've all been lies." Mello paused, taking in what he just said and thought that, yes, it could have all been lies, just for the attempt at making him happy. But L was right about one thing – he had failed. Mello didn't think he was any happier now than he had been the day he received those flowers.

Distantly, he heard the bell rang, and Rosie walked past him, sparing him a small pat on the shoulder. She called to the customer, "Hello, sir, how are you today? Mello, could you come out here and help this man, please?"

"Yeah," he sighed and turned to see a young man standing at the counter. Mello walked up and began to transaction: "How can I help you?"

"Well, I'm looking for some sunflowers for my girlfriend…"

Mello's eyes sharpened and he jerked his head up. "What's that?"

"Uh… s-sunflowers?"

"You bastard! You're from L, aren't you?" Mello shouted, shaking his fist at the young patron. He backed away from Mello, looked to Rosie for help and she sighed heavily.

"Mello, please don't harass the customers!"

"He's from L, I just know it," Mello cried, glaring at the man. Then, he looked towards the stand of sunflowers in the back left of the room. "L got me all those sunflowers."

"Look, man, I don't know anyone named L, I just-"

"Get out of here! Go!"

The bell rang as the customer scuttled out hurriedly and went down the street and Rosie didn't even bother to scold Mello. She only shook her head and turned away, grabbing the broom from the wall and handing it to Mello, with the look of a displeased master. "Go outside and sweep, Mello. Shoo."

Mello took it, knowing that Rosie wasn't exactly in the kidding mood. Even without Near around, he had still managed to scare off some business and so being banished outside came as little surprise. He walked out of the shop with the broom in hand and began to sweep around the corners and mildly glaring at those who threw Subway wrappers and used handkerchiefs to the ground. As his pile of swept up trash grew higher and higher, Mello had to bend to get it all straight and out of his pocket fell a black cell phone.

It fell to the ground with something like a sharp crack.

"Shit," Mello hissed and dropped the broom in his hurry for the phone. He scooped it up and examined it, bending on one knee as people passed him by. He turned it over and found a small chip in the back corner. He ran a thumb over it, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I hope it isn't broken… Wait, why the fuck do I care?" He frowned and held the phone tightly. "I don't. I don't care. You can just go to hell, you hear me?" he shouted at the mobile device he held and pedestrians hurried to cross the street and get away from him.

-

Raito hummed to himself, the tune of some pop song that was on the radio earlier that morning. The fourth floor had been quiet all morning, mostly because of the sleepiness the oncoming storm brought. In all the break rooms, the weather channel was on and the anchors were losing their minds over the rains that were due to last a good day or two. The skies outside were darkening and Raito tilted his head and wondered if there would be a flood and everyone could just take a few days off.

He sighed, turning back to his work and his fingers began to fly over the keys once more. There was too much to get done to be thinking about vacations and if he wasn't careful, he thought, he would soon end up like lazy L. Walking about the office in a daze, thinking of boys too young and immature.

But if Raito was being truly fair, he wouldn't have judged L so harshly. After all, it wasn't like he didn't think about cinnamon bun creamer every now and again. All flavors of creamer, really, swirled together into some mixture that was no longer a light brown but an oceanic gray.

Raito's eyelids drooped and he sighed tiredly, looking away from the monitor. It seemed he could hardly keep awake. There came a knock at the door and Raito yawned, "Come in."

It opened and Near came through with two cups of coffee, one in each hand. He closed the door behind him with a small kick of his heel. "Raito," he greeted and sat one of the cups on Raito's desk.

"N-Near, what are you doing here?" Raito asked, ignoring the coffee. His cravings from the past few days were forgotten at the sight of that face back in his office and the mussed white hair. Near seemed hung over once more and Raito thought as a mental note that he would have to tell Near the secret of eating something before bed that would soak up the liquor.

"I can stand that flower shop no longer," he stated firmly. Then, quieter: "I belong here."

"… In my office?"

"In _front_ of your office," Near said and motioned towards the glass at the wall that showed Near's station all set up.

Raito blinked at him and then sighed, settling back into the chair. He took his cup and sipped slowly, feeling the liquid running down his throat and warming him. It was quite a surprise to see Near back but somehow, Raito would have been just fine if Near never showed up to work again - after all, he could always pick him up for drinks.

"And I never thanked you for giving L my proposal," he said.

"What? Yes, you did… last night."

"I did?"

"Yes."

Near looked aside, confused. Then, took a larger slurp. "I wonder what else I don't remember…"

Raito grinned then, realizing the situation. "Right. What else? You called me cute."

Near almost dropped the cup in his shock. He held it tightly, securely, and stared at Raito in some knowing dismay. "I did not."

"You did so. I have the recording."

Near's eyes grew.

"Ha, I'm kidding. There's no recording."

He deflated, frowning. "You're despicable."

Raito waved him away. "You're 'cute'."

Near blushed and turned away. "I don't know what you're playing at but it isn't funny and I'm-"

The door opened once more and L walked in, uninvited, and paused at seeing Near's small form in front of Raito's desk. "Ah," he said, smiling, and without surprise, "so you've returned to us."

"Oh, Mr… um." He lowered his gaze. "What should I address you as? Anymore… I…"

"I meant what I said, Near. Call me L."

"All right…" He raised his eyes. "L. I'm not going back to work at the flower shop. Mello is a miserable soul and I believe we will never get along. I belong here."

"In front of my office," Raito clarified.

"Thank you," Near intoned, groaning.

L ruffled Near's hair a bit and then looked over him to Raito. "Do you have a moment?"

"What's wrong? Is it something that can't be overheard by young ears?" Raito asked, finishing the last of his coffee.

"I'm ignoring you," Near said mildly.

"Near can stay," L said. "I just wanted to tell you that you no longer have to worry about being violently attacked by Mello on the street."

"Really?" Raito perked up and then stopped, scratching his head. "Wait a minute, why not? You two aren't eloping to Mexico, are you?"

"No."

"Aruba?"

"You've had too much coffee already."

"I agree," Near stated.

"Oh, you two are such killjoys," Raito droned, sighing, but eyed Near and smirked. "Anyway. What have you done now, L?"

"I told him," L said off-handedly.

"You… you did? The truth? The entire truth?" Raito asked, almost unbelieving and Near looked at the older man, too, out of dubiety.

"Yes," L said gratingly, maybe a little annoyed. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and the rings around his eyes seemed deeper than usual. "The whole truth. He did not take lightly, as I previously thought, and threw me out."

"Harsh."

"Thank you, Raito, for your input."

"I'm just saying… well, what are you going to do?"

L directed an interested glance at him. "What do you mean, do? I can do nothing, Mello does not what to see me any longer. It is his choice."

"Oh hell. This is your problem L, you are completely indifferent about everything."

"I am not indifferent about him."

"Could have fooled me. Mello is like a prissy schoolgirl; if you tease her right, she will be putty at your feet."

Near huffed, blushing. "How vulgar."

"I don't mean it like _that_… L, you need passion."

"Passion?"

"See, you don't even know what it is."

"It is any powerful or compelling emotion, such as love or hate," L said, ticking the definition off on a finger. "And you're not making any sense. I'm tired. If either of you need me, I will be in my office, sleeping." With that, L turned and shut the door behind him.

Raito blinked and said into the silent room. "He's being emo _sans_ emotions. Interesting. Near, was this cinnamon bun creamer?" He asked, pointing to the empty cup.

"Um… yes."

"More, please."

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _'Sans' of course means without. Comments? Questions? We are fast approaching the end. Hit me. _


	15. Smother

A/N: _Thank you for the kind reviews! This chapter made my ass hurt! Commence to reading!_

-

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Fifteen.**

-

"You're an asshole."

Beep.

"I've never hated someone so much!"

Beep.

"Is this even on?"

Beep.

"… L, you bastard, how could you do this…"

Mello flipped the phone closed upon realizing that L had never installed his voicemail and the messages Mello had been screaming into the phone would never reach the man. In a way, however, he was somewhat relieved as even then some of the things he had said seemed harsh, even for someone who runs people over with their car.

It had been almost two full days since Mello threw L out of the apartment and hadn't heard from him since. At work, things were slow and Rosie often looked out of the front window, sighing, as if waiting for something. Or someone. Mello looked out over her shoulder sometimes as he passed behind her, sweeping up leaves, and was waiting for something – or someone – as well.

The skies were heavy with the ongoing thunderstorms and the streets were awash with floating debris and the gutters were overflowing. Mello was kept inside the shop like a bored cat because Rosie didn't want to risk his health out in the rain. She often walked around saying, "All this rain! Mello, are you taking vitamins? We sure don't want you sick. Who will keep me company?" and she ended the statement with an affectionate pat to his head as he lounged around the counter. She still held the supposition that an oncoming flu was what was ailing Mello. He ignored her and thought about the weight of the cell phone in his pocket, the lone number inside it, and sometimes for comfort, he slipped his hand into his jeans pocket and touched the crack on the phone.

When the shop was closed or Mello was on a break, he walked as if he were a ghost – no longer with the world but through it. He hadn't had the nerve to try the cell phone since he dropped it, to see if it worked, until tonight when he came home and sat up in Matt's bunk. He held the phone in his hand and looked about the dusty room, the severe emptiness that surrounded him. He could no longer feel Matt's eyes on him like when the redhead was alive and they would waltz around each other silently. Matt's ridiculous way of demanding attention…

"_Matt! Matt, you idiot, just wait for the damn light!"_

And the car that came.

Thinking back on it, on those many weeks ago, Mello tried to remember the driver's face. The face that killed Matt. But as hard as he tried to place L's face at the crash, he couldn't. He just saw L beside him in the flower shop, standing there with his bag of gum drops or at some nameless restaurant in full uniform, eager to pay for his bill.

So the source of his guilt had been revealed.

All the flowers and clothes and money, all the time they had spent just fucking _looking at each other_.

It was a complete farce, it had to have been. There was no way L would have spent so much time with him, just being kind to him, because he wanted to be. It was all because of Matt.

L felt bad for killing Matt.

He had to repay Mello somehow…

His grieving, mourning, crying roommate.

His best friend.

"Well, why me?" Mello cried out as he stood in the living room, staring at the phone. "Why not his_ mom_? She was closer to Matt than I was! Why couldn't you take her out to dinner? Why couldn't you make _her_ go crazy over you? I… I hate you, L," he shouted and crossed the room with long strides to the window. He threw the window up and leaned out and the people below cowered.

Mello stared out into the stormy night, tears starting in his eyes as he held the phone aloft in one fist, poised to throw it out onto the busy street.

_Should I do it? Completely… cut ties with him forever?_ He clenched his jaw. _To throw L away would be…_

Someone called up to him suddenly and angrily, "Don't you dare throw that phone!"

Mello blinked and looked down at the crowd shaking their fist, choruses of: "Yeah!" and "Stop it!" followed. Mello watched for a moment, gave a half-hearted laugh, and called down to them, "Okay."

-

L's office was dark as Raito walked up to it. He tilted his head curiously and looked on the door for a note that maybe L had gone out to eat or just laze about the floor but there was none. Mrs. Weatherly was walking by and Raito turned to her and said, "Excuse me, do you know if Mr. Lawliet is in?"

"Oh, him?" She pointed to the door. "I saw him go in a few hours ago but the lights have been off all day. I can't imagine what he's doing in there…"

Raito frowned heavily and sighed. "Okay, thank you." He turned around and began banging on the door. "L! You let me in there!"

Mrs. Weatherly gasped, holding a hand out. "H-Hey, what're you-"

The door opened roughly, L's face in the crack with an agitated eyebrow raised. "It was open, you know. No need for your cattish clawing at the door."

"_What_?" Raito screeched and sent a withering glare to Mrs. Weatherly for her guffawing as she walked away.

"I'm working," L said.

"In the dark?"

"Yes, in the dark."

Raito placed his hands on his hips in challenge. "Well, I have something to discuss with you, so let me in."

L sighed and opened the door, walking into the gloom and sitting at the desk that was only partially lit by the blue glow of the monitor. Raito shut the door behind himself and looked around, squinting.

"Jesus, L! You're going to go blind in here. Why are the curtains closed?" he asked, walking around the desk to peek between the curtains.

L sat at the desk. "What does it matter? It is dark outside, so open windows would provide no light."

"You're too old to be emo, you know. Hot Topic services young teens."

"I'm not emo."

"You are too. A lovesick emo," Raito observed, looking down into the parking lot. He blinked, ignoring the squeak of L's swivel chair turning. "_Ooh_, someone just keyed that car. Glad it's not mine." Raito craned his neck and was confronted by L's large black irises. "What're you staring at me like that for?"

"I am not lovesick," he said cautiously.

"If you weren't lovesick, you wouldn't be in here moping over Mello dumping you."

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

"I've lost interest, L!" Raito threw his hands up into the air. "It's your own fault for not telling Mello sooner. This whole thing could have been avoided."

L rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course. 'Hello, my name is L, and I've run over your roommate. Allow me to take you to dinner.' That would have worked quite well."

"Better that than making him think you were some prince on a white horse, come to save him from melancholy, only to find out months later that you were just a jerk in a Mercedes! And you're too stubborn to go out and make him believe that you're not just a jerk in a Mercedes. You'll sit in here and cut yourself to death while listening to Ryan Farish and Mello will still hate you. It's a move it or lose it deal, L. You better snatch Mello up before someone who hasn't run his dear friend over gets the chance."

"What am I supposed to say to him?" L stressed, thinking of the way Mello's eyes widened in the shadows, the shaking of his fists. "I cannot… I cannot take it back."

"Tell him that! Tell him anything! But you're going about this the wrong way, L. He doesn't need space, he needs you to smother him. Passion, L. Let it rise up in you, let it fill your lungs!"

L shook his head. "_Near_… I am going to give him something other to do than give you coffee."

"I'm not hyper."

"Either that or sexual frustration."

Raito shrugged. "Probably."

"Ugh."

"What? Did you read the walls of the fourth floor restroom? Everyone's getting some except me."

"Send Near on an errand."

"What? Pft. L, I'm ignoring you… but you seem to be in a better mood," Raito observed, still slightly blushing, as he examined L's thoughtfulness. "Is someone coming out of their emo-corner?"

"I do not know what you mean. But… I agree with you on some level. Maybe I should talk to him. Although, I had thought you were against my seeing him, Raito."

"Oh, I don't care. I have other things to entertain me rather than your nonexistent love life, L."

"Thankfully."

"What were you working on then?" Raito asked, leaning over the back of the chair to look at the monitor. There were graphs and Raito scanned it with the mouse and recognized it. "Near's proposal! It looks different. What did you do to it?"

"Not much. Near and I have been sending it back and forth between computers, making improvements and adjustments. He's quite intelligent, I've barely had to do anything."

Raito blinked widely. "Is _that _what he's been doing? I thought he was playing Solitaire!"

"It makes me wish I had not so readily handed him to you as an assistant," L mused.

"Well, he's mine, so hands off."

"You are too old for him, Raito."

"Oh shut _up_, L."

-

"There have been no new discoveries in the case since you left, Near," Mrs. Weatherly informed the small intern gamely as he stood in front of the refrigerator in the small kitchen. She had been standing against the wall, drinking tea until Near entered the room to check on his sandwich. He had placed the same sort of sandwich in that had been bitten before but this time, there was no bite.

Near nodded slowly. "The culprit," he said, "must have a large distaste for turkey. This is why he did not take more than a bite previously. And I have come prepared." Near placed a tuna salad sandwich into the refrigerator ceremoniously.

Mrs. Weatherly rubbernecked over his shoulder. "So, are you going to wait here for the bandit?"

"No, I have much work to do. You may wait for him, though," he said and walked for the door.

"Um. But…"

Near pretended to not have heard her and was quite pleased with his plan. The Lunchbox Bandit would indeed be caught in no time. Everything was coming along nicely, even the proposal that he worked on with L days in and out. Perfecting it for the board because L had already set up a meeting with the CEO and COO and many other bigwigs that resided like monsters in the attic on the fifth floor.

Lately, Near felt as if an earthquake was beneath him all the time. High on the Richter scale and low on patience for those above ground. He felt like he could never stand still: his knees were shaking, he felt woozy, or he had to blink harshly to keep things in focus. All because, really, this was all he ever wanted.

When he was very young, he was playing entrepreneur by selling other kids on the block his toys for almost twice what his mother had paid for them. And when he arrived home with five popsicles from the Frosty Treat man, his mother would wonder where he got such money from. The day he walked into IDM, he knew exactly where he wanted to be in the company. At the very top.

He looked up at the ceiling.

It would be very soon, with L's help.

-

The next day was just as dreary as the day before and the one before that. It was around five thirty in the evening but no sun could be seen setting over the horizon, no colors of gold and red thrown up into the sky. Clouds opened up and poured rain down over the city and Raito moved slowly down the streets of downtown, trying to get home. He growled to himself, agitated at how slow everyone was going and how congested the roads were. A few streets back, he had witnessed someone trying to speed and their tires lost traction, sliding off into a ditch and taking another two cars with them.

Things were barely going at five miles per hour now and Raito wished he had brought a bag of chips or something. He had nothing to eat and nothing to entertain him except for his Rihanna CDs that played loudly and kept his fingers tapping on the steering wheel. People passing by quickly on the sidewalk were cowering under their umbrellas or taking cover in the shops that lined the streets. But, out of the murky masses, Raito caught sight of some sunshine, something bright and blond and noticed Mello standing under a canvas awning in front of an electronics store.

Raito blinked, looking over. The awning was old and full of holes and Mello was damp underneath it but held something in his hand and seemed far away.

_Ugh… shit, what is he doing out here?_ Raito kept turning from the light to Mello and then groaned loudly, rolling down his passenger side window. "Mello! Mello," he called into the wind.

The blond perked up and looked around, his gaze finally settling on Raito and the Lexus. He held a hand up to shield his eyes from the sprinkles of rain and finally recognized him. The light turned green and the congestion began to move a bit and Mello took off walking away. Raito sighed and followed at walking-pace with his car along the avenue, leaning over in the passenger's seat.

"Mello, come on, get in. L wouldn't forgive me if I made you walk out in the rain."

Mello shook his now glistening wet hair at the brunet. "You may not have been my stalker but that doesn't mean we're friends."

"I don't _want_ to be your friend," Raito countered, irritated. "But L does."

Mello flashed a glare over his shoulder and continued to walk. "I'm fine," he said.

There was silence between them for a second before a bolt of lightening flashed in the sky then followed by thunder.

"Come on, this is really stupid!"

Mello sighed and turned, opening the door and getting in. He shook himself like a dog and Raito, now back on his side, groaned at getting wet. He sighed when Mello settled down with his seatbelt and concentrated on driving.

After five minutes, Mello cried out, "Damn! I can walk faster than this!"

"Oh, be quiet. Can't you at least say thank you, you ungrateful lug?"

Mello frowned, wiggling around in his seat.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… thank you."

"There!" Raito gave a half smile and loosened his grip on the wheel. "Now, where do you live?"

"Perry Avenue, the apartment building on the left side. It's four blocks down."

"All right."

There was more silence between them during which the only sounds were the thunder outside and Rihanna in the car. Mello wrinkled his nose after the fourth song started.

_Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? Disturbia, ain't used to what you like…_

"Fucking hell, what is this? What're you listening to?" he asked, whipping his head around to Raito.

Raito blinked, glancing at him. "It's Rihanna."

Mello stared for a moment. "What a fag."

"Don't make me stop this car!"

"We're practically stopped already! What's the hold up?" Mello stuck his head out of the window despite Raito's protests that he was letting rain in. He shouted some obscenities to other drivers and then pulled his head back in and rolled up the window.

Raito shook his head. "You're such a child! L must have such a time with you. What were you doing standing out there anyway?"

"L is not my nanny," Mello huffed and then turned back to the phone he had in his lap. "And I was looking for a phone case."

"What for?" Raito looked over and noticed the black cell phone.

"Non-ya!" Mello stuffed the phone into his pocket. "Just drive. Sheesh. Fucking nosy Rihanna-lover."

-

The rain was still coming down everywhere that night when L sat down on his bed with his cell phone. He had not needed to get Near's phone number from IDM's employee directory, as Near had left his number all around L's office and countless other places L could gain access to it. Despite the open invitation, L had put off calling the young man until now and he speed dialed number 3.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Near, did I interrupt something?"

"L… of course not…"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm happy you called. I have finished all things for the proposal on this end and I think we are all set for tomorrow… um… L, do you mind if I put Raito on three-way with us? He is on the other line and is now childishly beeping at me to hurry up."

"Ah, I see. Go ahead then."

"All right." There was a pause and then a beep. "Raito, L is on the line with us."

"What? He is? L, you're such a busybody, go get your own conversation."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Raito."

"L was talking to me about something important, Raito, so please hush."

"I was talking about something important, too."

"Fawning after opera tickets is not important."

"So uncultured."

"Ahem."

"Sorry, L. What were we talking about?"

"The pro-"

"Pavarotti is supposed to perform."

"I will mute you, Raito."

"Only Near can mute me, L."

"Then I will. Please, L, continue."

"Oh, fine, just ignore me."

"We are trying!"

"Near, what I was going to say is that I think you know the proposal backwards and are very eager for it to be presented?"

"Oh, I am, L. I cannot wait for you to tell me how it goes."

"Well, I think-"

"Shit… I have a hangnail. This is going to take forever to dig out."

"_Raito_."

"I'm not listening to your 'private' conversation, Near. Go on with what you were saying, L."

"Hurry, L, before he can speak again."

"I ju-"

"Red light!"

"Ugh!"

"Haha, I'm just yanking your chain, L. Go ahead."

"Near, no more coffee for him."

"Yes, L."

"Near, I want you to give the presentation tomorrow."

"… What? But L…"

"You are so bright; this day should be yours. This is _your_ creation, Near."

"… Thank you, L. I'm very happy just that you think so highly of me."

"I'm very impressed, Near."

"… Honestly, was that all you had to say, L? This could have been over five minutes ago."

Both Near and L hung up.

-

In the fifth floor break room the next morning, the skies had parted and sunshine was finding its ways in through the IDM windows and onto Near's red giraffe tie. It was tightened and straightened along with the rest of his firmly pressed suit. He stared into the small mirror by the wall and looked into his own sad gray eyes as the door behind him opened and L walked in, for once, in a suit of his own.

Near was more surprised at this than anything and turned to greet him. "L… I… you're in a suit…"

"Is it that surprising? This is a professional meeting after all," he said and jammed his hands into his pockets as usual. He gave Near an once-over as well and smiled as if he was trying to help it. "Are those giraffes?" he asked.

"… Yes," Near said, looking aside.

"I see. They're quite nice."

"… You think so?" He looked down at them and touched the silk of the tie, running his fingers along it. "My mother likes them."

"Then your mother has good taste."

The door opened a bit and Raito's head popped in. He noticed the two over by the mirror and called over, "We're ready for you, Near. Let's… are those giraffes?"

"Indeed they are," said L, walking for the door. "Aren't they nice giraffes?"

Raito blinked at L and then at Near, small and giraffe-coated, in the large room. He sighed and smiled. "Yes, Near, they're nice giraffes."

Near brightened up and followed the two of them out of the break room. The fifth floor was nothing bedazzling or new-age but it was roomy with many windows. The carpet was a deep blue, not the scratchy gray of the bottom floors, and Near breathed in the fresh smell as he walked through the corridors. L and Raito walked into the large conference room first and Near followed at length, feeling the earth move as he did so.

There were twelve men sitting at the oval wooden table once L and Raito took their seats amongst the others. When they sat and looked up, Near barely recognized them: L no longer had a placid look of indifference but a calm seriousness and Raito's airy brown eyes turned to confident stone as they locked on Near. But, he thought, there was the flash of something, some sort of humor and goodwill and Near recognized his friends deep inside of them.

Near turned his face upward and gave them all a small smile and said, "Gentlemen…"

-

_I feel as if I'm wasted. And I'm wasted everyday. Oh, I…_

"Oh, Mello, don't you just love this song?"

Mello groaned, turning his head away from Rosie's trilling and excitement over her new CD player. She brought it into the shop that morning, crowing about how it would liven up the flowers and Mello didn't even bother trying to stop it.

She had picked up some CDs on the way in to work randomly and Mello was forced to listen to it all. The CD player was placed on the counter in the front room and Rosie was either standing by it or dancing around the flower stands, watering them and singing along. Mello found some relief in the back room, where it was slightly quieter, and watered or snipped flowers.

The weight from the cell phone was there, in his pocket, and he decided that that was all he needed.

It was enough, to have that small link with L and the memories he left in the flower shop.

Everything he needed was right in his pocket.

The bell rung and Mello could hear Rosie call out, "Oh my-"

Mello sighed to himself, his back to the door. "I'll be right there, Rosie. By the way, these sunflowers are coming in nicely, I think it's that new plant fo-" Mello yipped as he felt two hands on his waist and before he could speak any further, he was whirled around and L's lips came crashing to his.

The clippers he was holding fell with a metallic clink to the floor. L's arms came around Mello and he could feel the man's hands on his back, the warmth seeping in through the fabric of his shirt. Mello wanted to cry out, to tell him to back the fuck off or to ask what the hell he thought he was doing, but when he opened his mouth he could only feel liberation and happiness when he felt L's tongue against his. Mello brought his hands up to the lapels of the dark blue blazer L wore and he held them tightly, winkled them with the sweat under his palms.

In a moment, L broke away and left Mello breathing harshly and whispered into his hair, "I'm sorry."

Mello was dizzied, almost incoherent, but got his bearings with the apology and managed to push L away with some force. He stared at the man, wide-eyed and flushed and out of the corner of his eye, saw Rosie standing at the door way, a bright red cherry.

"H-Hey," he shouted, pointing an angry finger at L. "What the fuck… just… Jesus, L! What're you doing here? A-And what the fuck are you so dressed up for?"

"I have given you my last verbal apology just now, Mello," L said, obsidian eyes flashing. "When I did those things for you, when I kept my identity a secret, I did them to make you happy. I felt you had lost something and I tried to fill the void in you with anything possible. Though now I realize, it was not a thing you lost and it is not a thing that can replace it. What you had with Matt was a relationship and though I cannot hope to make you forget the secrets I kept from you, I hope you will not take lightly my feelings for you. I owe you a life and desire to give you mine."

Mello swallowed thickly and looked towards the doorway where Rosie caught his glance and ducked away, giggling.

"L… you… but… why are you _saying_ all this?" he asked quietly.

L smirked. "_I _am being passionate. So, if you would please…" And he held out his hand.

-

**To be continued.**

-

A/N: _Thoughts? Questions? Next is the epilogue. Hit me!_


	16. Epilogue

**

* * *

**

**Escort to Happiness.**

**Sixteen.**

* * *

A week later, the chill of oncoming winter really had set in and Raito had been at a complete loss when picking out what sweater to wear in the winter section of his closet. With the gentle blue of his tie and slacks, he decided on a light, aquatic blue to accentuate it and thought he was quite clever, wearing such a heavy sweater knowing that the AC was broken in his office. However, upon arriving, he was both horrified and embarrassed to find that the vents were fixed and heat was rapidly blowing down onto the fourth floor.

Mrs. Weatherly smiled as she walked by the elevator Raito came out of. She smiled at him with an arm full of papers. "Good morning, Mr. Yagami! Isn't it nice that they fixed the heater? And just in time for the cool air, too."

"Yes… just in time," Raito growled, yanking on his tie.

"Well, see you… oh, and that's a beautiful sweater," she said, walking away.

Raito sighed. "Right. Thanks."

When he made it to his office, it was even warmer, and in some form of protest or possibly denial, he sat at his desk placidly with his sweater on. He attempted to answer some emails and check on the company's stocks but in the end, the seventy-nine degree weather got to him and he cried out in rage and started to furiously tear the sweater off his body.

He was still fighting to get the fabric over his head when the door opened and Near walked in with a steaming cup in hand.

He stopped in the doorway and Raito halted, one eye and a tuft of hair visible over his crooked arms and sweater.

"… Perhaps this is a bad time." Near shut the door behind him.

Raito cleared his throat and then proceeded to gently take the sweater off. He threw it to the floor with a flourish and straightened his tie. "Yes, Near, perhaps it was. Now, what is… um, what is this?" he asked as Near handed him the cup. He peered down into it and it didn't seem like coffee.

"It is hot cocoa. Fitting for winter, is it not?"

Raito raised an eyebrow and squinted. "Are those tiny marshmallows?"

"Indeed."

"_Near_," he groaned, taking a small sip. "You got me hooked on coffee and now… I… mmm. This is good, Near!"

"Thank you," Near said, smirking a bit. He placed his hands behind his back and straightened. "L and I have come to the consensus that you are too caffeinated too often. So, I am weaning you off of coffee with this delicious substitute."

Raito barely gave him any attention until the cup was emptied, devoid of all liquid and marshmallows. He set the cup down and sighed, opening his brown eyes on Near. "You know what? I'm going to miss you, Near."

Near blinked a few times before reddening a bit and shaking his head. "You speak as if I'm moving cross-country."

"Oh, I know…" He placed his chin in his hand and sighed. "It's just down the hall, right? And you'll have your own office, too. I'm proud of you, Near, both L and I are. You did a great job with your presentation and because of all your hard work, we won't be in a position to merge with Oak Group."

Near nodded deeply. "Yes, however, we may be the only few happy about it."

"What makes you say that?"

Near wrapped his finger around a lock of hair and tugged distractedly. "I was in the kitchen giving a stern talking-to to the Lunchbox Bandit and-"

"Wait-"

"I don't interrupt you-"

"You caught the bandit?" Raito asked, ignoring Near's indignant expression.

Near sighed. "Yes, I did. He did not take my bait of tuna salad last week so I tried again with some cupcakes and it worked. It turned out to be the portly man from the third floor, Dennis Webber. He had been pilfering others' food as he was passed over for a raise and his cable bill was raised, hence he began to steal in order to satiate himself."

Raito blinked. "Wow. Near, some fat guy was taking people's food."

"I already said that."

"It's really disturbing."

"Yes… unfortunately, I am too traumatized to put anymore foodstuffs into that kitchen. I will have to search for refrigeration elsewhere…" He narrowed his eyes at the floor.

Raito pursed his lips. "Huh."

"Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes. I was reprimanding him-"

"Wait, did you report Webber?"

Near groaned.

"Inquiring minds want to know!" Raito protested.

"No, I did not report him. It seems my talking-to was punishment enough. He was also thoroughly berated by on-lookers, those who have been his victims. May I continue?"

"Sure. I'd report him though."

"I'm sure you would. Now, after I sent Mr. Webber on his way, I turned to Mrs. Weatherly to congratulate her on a job well done in capturing the culprit. However, she told me it was my fault the third floor was forced into massive amounts of work to produce this new product and deal with the Oak Group's agitation at our bailing out of the deal."

"Oh, psh. Is that all? Screw them."

Near blinked.

"Be proud, Near. I am."

"Mm. Right," he said and smiled. "I am. I'll just be moving my things off my desk. If you need something, I'll be available for the next few minutes." He turned for the door and stopped in mid-step, reaching for his back pocket. "Oh, and I forgot. L told me you liked these?" He pulled out a small bag of Cheez-Its and tossed them over to Raito.

Raito caught them, wide-eyed. "Are… these from the first floor vending machine?"

Near smirked. "B5," he said smoothly.

"They fixed it! Finally," Raito hissed greedily. "Thank you, Near."

Near shook his head. "No, it is still broken."

"… What? Then how-"

"I kicked it. See you, Raito," Near said, hand on the doorknob. He paused again before glancing over the jamb. "And I will miss you too."

The door shut and Raito slipped the Cheez-Its into his drawer. He would eat them later. Maybe.

-

While variety wasn't exactly L's forte, he had agreed to meet Raito for lunch at a new place that had recently opened up. Their deserts were supposed to be unmatched in creamy goodness and so L decided that, being a sweets connoisseur, it was his duty to try it out. He arrived in front of _Almandine_ at one o' clock, with not more on than jeans, sneakers and a brown turtleneck over his usual shirt.

Raito was at a seat near the window and he saw L as he entered and waved to him. L sat across from him in his fetal position, earning looks from the patrons unused to him.

"This is a small place," L observed. "But it smells good. How have things been going?"

"Good, good. And I think what you're smelling is my cologne," Raito said proudly, smirking to himself.

L nodded. "Leave it to you to douse yourself in it."

"What?"

"Why do you smell like something to eat?"

Raito shrugged. "It's a new scent called _Cinnamon_. It reminded me of the coffee so I…"

"That is a strange attempt at garnering Near's attentions."

"That is _not _it! You talked Near into taking away coffee from me. And I miss it. So I'm wearing this. And anyway, don't criticize me about fragrances; you smell like an old shoe!" Raito huffed, turning away.

"I don't remember Mello ever complaining."

"Pft, well, you can't go by him…" Raito raised his eyebrow towards L as the waitress came over to their table and L seemed to order three or four things off of the desert menu, which didn't surprise Raito. Raito ordered what he considered to be actual food and when she was gone, he folded his hands in his lap and said, "So how is the little fur ball anyway?"

"Adjusting."

"I bet! Like a cat to water."

L chuckled, "He wants me to do nothing for him. He even wants to pay rent."

"Do you _let _him?"

"Of course. It is ten dollars a month, to pay for fines we get when he inevitably throws things out of the window."

-

The bell rang in the front room and Rosie called out, "Mello! Is that you?"

Mello was standing at the apron rack by the door and tying the strings around his back. "Yeah, I'm here," he said and punctuated his statement with a yawn.

"Don't you come back here! I've got a surprise for you!"

There was a pause and then a shudder from Mello as he shook his head. _Oh no… what's she done this time?_ he wondered, looking towards the threshold of the back room. He had a feeling, however, that it had to do with the rigorous search they had been enduring the past week for a new employee.

With L gone and Near gone back to IDM and making it apparent that they would not be coming back, Rosie could take the stress of only four hands no longer. She put the 'Help Wanted' sign back in the window and even an ad in the personals column, which Mello later droned on that that was _not_ the place to put an ad reading: _$8/hr for a pair of strong yet gentle hands! _

Applications did begin to pour in, however, and they had interviewed people from all walks of life: ranging from bums on the corner to forty-year-olds who resided in their parent's basement. After the first few, Rosie kicked Mello out of the interviewing process, as he insulted the interviewees on their odors and faces before they really got started.

So Mello wasn't too surprised when finally Rosie came out of the back with a big grin on her face. "Mello," she sang heartily, "come meet your new partner!"

From behind the threshold stepped a young man in full _Rosie's Posies _uniform with the stems of azaleas wrapped elegantly around the name Matsuda. He beamed under a head of thick black hair at Mello.

"Hello! I'm Matsuda; it's nice to meet you, Mello!" He walked around the counter and extended his hand to the blond. "I don't know much about caring for flowers but I'm eager to learn. And, also, I had an oak tree in front of my house as a child that I liked to sit under. That has to count for something, right?"

Mello blinked and looked over his shoulder at Rosie, unimpressed. "Seriously, Rosie?"

"Oh, now, Mello! Be nice! Matsuda is darling!"

Mello shook his head and took Matsuda's hand, shaking it limply. "Right, well, I guess Rosie will be training you so it can't be all bad, right?"

Matsuda chirped, "Right!"

"Not right, Mello," Rosie said, leaning on the counter happily. "I'm getting on in years and haven't the energy to train little Matsuda. You'll have to take him on."

Mello stared. "You aren't old! That's a lie!"

She giggled, waving away his comment. "Oh dear, Mello, you frisky thing, are you calling me young?"

Sensing this was a fight he was destined to lose, Mello groaned to himself and led Matsuda over to the counter while Rosie flitted away somewhere, crowing about how they would become such good friends. Matsuda, as it turned out, had had some prior experience with a cash register at his last job at the local Burger King.

Mello raised an eyebrow at him. "Why'd they fire you?"

"Oh, they didn't, I quit. The manager kept making passes at me," he said somberly and Mello had to hold back a loud bark of laughter. Matsuda continued, "But Rosie doesn't seem like the harassing type. She has kept telling me all morning, though, that she hopes I don't get run over by a car. Does that happen often or something?"

Mello sighed. "I guess you could say that."

"Wow, really? I'd better be careful crossing the street though!"

"You'll be fine if you wait for the _walk _sign."

"Hmm. That seems pretty simple."

"It is," Mello yawned.

Matsuda blinked and smiled at the blond. "You've been yawning a lot. Are you a night-owl?"

Mello shook his head, covering his mouth. "No, I just-"

Rosie laughed from the back room and poked her head in with a big smile. "Oh, Mello's been yawning all week! He just moved in with a past employee of mine. It's pretty hard to get used to less sleep, right, Mello?" She winked.

Mello blushed heavily. "T-That's not it at all; we've been moving my stuff in and-"

"_Moving_, is _that_ what they're calling it these days?" Rosie chuckled under her breath and ducked back into the other room.

"Rosie! Why do you have to tell all my business like that anyway, huh?" Mello raged.

Matsuda, who was slightly pink at hearing all of this, turned away and said, "Um, I'm not listening, Mello, you don't have to be embarrassed…"

"I'm not embarrassed!"

The bell rang suddenly and when a man entered the shop, Rosie jumped out into the open and pointed at him violently. "A customer! Men! At your stations!"

Matsuda pumped his fist in the air. "Yes, ma'am!"

The customer was beyond stunned and looked around nervously and Mello sighed heavily.

-

It was eight o' clock at night when the shop was closed up and after a long day of breaking Matsuda in, Mello was beyond ready to get away from the place. The streetlamps were lit and cars raced behind them down the streets and, distantly, there was music playing out of an open window. Standing outside the store, the three employees began to part ways.

"This was fun," Matsuda announced, sighing happily. "I learned a lot and didn't get sexually harassed all day!"

Rosie blinked. "Well, of course you didn't, Matsuda… why-"

"Because I'm not used to that." He nodded confidently. "So I would say things are certainly looking up!"

For once, Rosie seemed at a loss for something to say and it was at that moment that a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb. Mello sighed with relief that he could finally get away from such strange conversations and had to stop himself from diving into the passenger's side. When he opened the door, Rosie cried out fangirlishly at the driver, "Hello, L! Hi! Take Mello home safely! Don't keep him up too late!"

L smiled back and Mello shut the door, sticking his tongue out at Rosie childishly as they drove away. As soon as Mello rolled the window up, he shouted, "Man! Rosie just wouldn't leave me alone today. Oh and that guy she was standing with? New guy she just hired. _I_ have to train him, can you believe that? Shit… he's a real weirdo, too, he's used to being sexually harassed! Rosie loves him though, and she's got the shop running like a pirate ship. I think he called her 'my captain' today. And… what?" Mello looked over at L when they were stopped at a red light, noticing the constant stare he was receiving. "Am I talking too much?"

"Not at all. I like it," L said and turned his attention back to the road. "It's almost like riding with Raito."

"Hey! Don't compare me to _him_!"

L raised an eyebrow. "You're right, I shouldn't."

"Good," Mello huffed.

"By the way," L said, turning the corner into the driveway of their apartment complex, "what do you think about someday having dinner with Raito and Near?"

"Oh God. What the hell for?"

"It might be entertaining. You would get to see Raito's sad attempts to hit on Near."

Mello considered this. "Well… that could be pretty funny. What day did you have in mind?"

"Tonight."

"Aw hell!"

When they parked, Mello got out on his side and stomped up the small walkway to the stairs that led to the second-floor apartment. L followed close behind and asked as Mello opened the door, "What's the matter with that?"

"You can't tell me something like that on such short notice. What if _I_ had plans?" he asked, turning around in the living room, arms raised above his head.

"And what would your plans have been?"

"Um. I dunno. _Something_."

"Something doesn't sound like much," L stated.

Mello stared at him for a moment with an icy glare, one which L had learned to take in stride and in a minute, Mello no longer cared and turned towards the bedroom. The majority of his clothes were still packed away in a large box over by the walk-in closet and Mello headed for it, throwing the box open and rummaging around. He called out in challenge, "I'm not ironing my clothes though!"

"That's fine," L called.

Mello sighed, searching through the pile of jeans and felt something smooth beneath his hands. He blinked and pulled out the leather vest and, beneath it, found the pants. "Hey," he said softly, "I can wear these."

"You can."

Mello yipped, surprised to hear L so close, and turned around to see him standing less than a foot away. "Jesus, L, what'd I tell you about that?"

L ignored this and touched the leather, a fleeting contact with Mello's fingertips. "I like the way it looks on you. We have to leave in a few minutes to make the reservation so hurry and put it on," he said.

"_What_? So soo-" Mello was cut off by L's lips on his and he was close to not being agitated anymore before L pulled away quickly and, with the flash of bright obsidian eyes, turned and walked away.

Mello frowned, and just before he could call out some curse or another or tell L what an asshole he was for never finishing things he started, he clutched the material tighter. And before they left the apartment again, he was smiling.

* * *

**The End.**

* * *

A/N: _Boy am I tired. Anyway, thanks for reading, everyone. The poll has been heeded and I posted the winning category fic which was "sexual." So that's up if anyone cares to read it. (Also, Matsuda was the new guy because I didn't feel like making an OC. Plus, he's cute.) If anyone would like to give me any closing comments, please do. _

_See you next time. _


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